The Nephalim and the Cambion (Sequel to the Tome (A Septiplier Story))
by Azaarus
Summary: Mark, the descendant of a Nephilim (the offspring of an angel and a human), and Jack, the descendant of a Cambion (the offspring of a demon and a human), are soulmates, and deeply in love. They have battled Mark's angelic descendant, Dark, and defeated him, but their past will soon come back to haunt them... (this is a sequel)
1. I Remember Everything

This is a sequel to my first story, The Tome (A Septiplier Story). If you have not read it yet, I suggest you read that first, or you may be lost on some aspects of this story. You can read it by clicking the following link: s/12193549/1/The-Tome-A-Septiplier-Story

(The link tool seems to be broken. You can just look on my profile for the Tome)

* * *

It has been a year, almost to the day, since Dark, a fallen angel and my blood descendant, fell dead on my living room floor at the hands of my fiancé. Well, he wasn't my fiancé then, and really, he was never my fiancé at all. Jack is my fiancé. He is my soulmate. He is my world.

Dark was killed by Sean.

Oh boy, do I have to explain who Sean is? Okay. I will try my best.

Jack is a cambion. Well, no, that isn't exactly accurate. A cambion is the offspring of a demon and a human. Jack is the _descendant_ of a cambion. He has cambionotic DNA, but it just makes everything easier to say he is a half-breed rather than explaining about his bloodline. Either way, Jack has inner demons.

Literally.

Sean is the literal demon that Jack can become. I have only met Sean a couple of times, and he hasn't come out since the day he drove the poisoned dagger through Dark's heart.

The day that we both will never forget.

It was the day I nearly died. The day Jack's soul, his spirit, his entire being saved my life.

Let's go back a bit. I will tell you what happened that day, and I will tell you what has happened since that day.

* * *

I remember it clearly. I remember when I was pierced with the poisoned dagger, I remember the Qeres penetrating through the tiny gash in my chest, made when I was holding Dark from behind and Sean plowed the shining silver dagger through his heart.

I remember pleading with Sean to let Jack out, to let me see him before I died, begging like a child for me to see my love one more time before I was no longer on this Earth. I remember that he would not comply.

I remember waking up but not being able to move, speak, or see.

I remember focusing on him. Jack. My love. My soulmate. My world. My everything.

I remember that I put every ounce of focus on him. I reached down deep, deeper than I ever had, and I drew from him. I could feel my soul, my entire being draw from his energy. I heard him gasp, as if he could feel it. I dug deeper. I focused on the intense love I felt for him. I focused on the intense love he felt for me.

I remember that I drew from him. And I remember that he let me.

I remember when Jack let out a small whimper and pulled himself from me, completely drained of energy.

I remember feeling him collapse on the bed next to me, and he cried out my name... "MARK!"

And I remember when I whispered "Jack..."

I remember everything.

* * *

"Mark? Where are you, Babe?" I heard Jack yell in his adorable Irish accent as he came home from work. He was working full time at the book store, and had been since Dark died. I still own half of the store, but I do more work outside the store, meeting with potential buyers and sellers, setting up trades and appraising book collections.

"I'm in the bedroom," I called out, hoping he would come up to me so I didn't have to get out of bed. I was writing a blog, and I didn't want to have to stop. The words and memories were flowing from my fingers freely, and it felt good to finally be able to put all the thoughts and memories that have plagued my mind over the past year into words.

Jack opened the bedroom door and smiled at me. "Have you even gotten out of bed today?" he asked. He was spinning his engagement ring, something he does subconsciously. He walked over to me and took my face in his hands. He stared at me with his sparkling sapphire eyes, then he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

I indulged in the feeling of his soft lips on mine for a moment, then I ran my fingers through his bright green hair and parted my lips to taste him. I drew him closer to me, and he crawled into our bed, never breaking our kiss, and straddled me.

I felt him explore my jawline with his mouth, making his way to the spot on my neck that he knows is my absolute weakness. I sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, and let out a tiny moan.

He sat back, looking at me. "Goddamn, Mark! I haven't even taken my jumper off yet!" he said, smiling. "What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing! Can't I enjoy the company of my fiancé without something getting into me?" I said with a smile.

"No!" Jack laughed, pulling his green hoodie over his head, making a mess of his hair in the process.

"Get your shoes off the bed, you pig!" I scolded. "You are gonna get dirt all over the clean blankets!" He swung his leg over me and hopped off the bed, kicked off his black Vans and threw his hoodie onto the dresser. He plopped back on the bed next to me and started twirling a lock of my blood red hair around his finger.

"Whatcha writing?" he asked, looking at my laptop.

"Nothing important. It's just a blog," I said.

"What about?"

I sighed. "It's about last year. I have some stuff I wanted to get off my chest."

"Oh..."

"Hey, Jack?"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you. Forever," I told him, looking into his blue eyes.

"And I love you. For always," he said back, just like always, then he leaned in closer to press his lips to mine one more time...


	2. Reunion

I woke up alone.

"Jack?" I called out to him, but he didn't answer. "Jackaboy?" I got out of bed and looked around upstairs, but he wasn't here. I quietly tiptoed down the stairs. It was dark down there. I flicked on the light, but didn't find him.

I ran back upstairs and grabbed my phone. I called his phone, and I heard it ring. I followed the rings outside, to the backyard. I ended the call when I saw Jack's green hair. He was sitting in a lawn chair, his head tilted up, looking toward the sky.

I looked up.

I saw stars.

I remembered the stars, too. From the night I met Jack. The night I made the horrible mistake of reading from that fucking book. The night I changed both of our lives.

I stood there, watching him. He lifted a beer bottle to his lips and tilted it back, never taking his eyes off of the sky.

I walked up behind him and touched his shoulder. "There you are. I was worried..."

A deep, gravely voice replied, "awww, now why would you go and worry about little old me? I thought you had forgotten about me, Mark." His head turned, and I saw those blazing, hellfire green eyes.

"FUCK!" I shouted, and backed up. Sean chuckled. I immediately felt a soft, steady heat rise up in my belly, and I felt a wave of strength push through my body. I knew my eyes began emitting their even, golden glow.

"Now, now... _Angel_... Let's not do anything we will regret," he said, still sitting. He turned his gaze back up to the sky. "I'm not here for you."

"Yeah, I believe that," I growled. "That's what you said the night you poisoned me and watched me die. You left me there! You wouldn't even let Jack out during my last breath!"

"Purely accidental, I assure you," Sean said. "I did what I set out to do... I killed that fallen angel, didn't I? It wasn't my fault your chest was in the way," he said, smiling.

"I even cleaned up the mess I made. And I didn't even get a thank you."

"FUCK you!" I spat. "Let him out. NOW!"

"Oh, but I can't. I have some... business to attend to," he said, standing up and turning to me.

"What could you possibly have to do? You have been gone for a year!" I said, but I have to admit, I was curious.

"You remember your good friend Sarah, don't you?" He stepped closer to me.

"What about her? She is dead."

Seal laughed. "Dead? Is that what you think?" He stepped closer to me. "Oh no, Mark. She is anything but dead. See, your great great great triple great whatever great grandpappy Darkie worked some fallen angel mumbo jumbo on her corpse before I blasted his heart open, and that girl is still out there. And she has something that I desperately desire..."

There was no reasoning with the demon, so I desperately tried reaching Jack.

"Jack, baby? Jack, listen to me. You have to fight him. Remember all the research and training we did. Reach deep, Jackaboy." I took a step back.

Sean started shaking his head. His hands flew to his head, covering his ears. He started saying "No! No no no!", then he squeezed his eyes shut and dropped to his knees.

He let out a deafening roar, then it was quiet. I stood, watching, still on guard. He tilted his head up, and opened his eyes. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the sapphire blue eyes gazing back at me.

"You did it, Baby!" I squealed, running to him and scooping him up in my arms. "It actually worked!"

Jack looked at me, wide eyed. This was the first time he had ever seen my angelic side. The only other time it happened in front of Jack was when he wasn't Jack. He stared into my golden eyes.

"Mark? Are you... good?"

I chuckled. "Yeah. I'm good. No worries."

I breathed in deep as I hugged him, and by the time we pulled apart, I had gone back to normal.

I never told Jack, but I had been reading from the Book of Angels and _the Book,_ and I taught myself how to tap into and control my nephilim blood. Jack and I were working on ways for him to control Sean, and this was the first time he ever had to use what he learned. He did it perfectly.

"I guess all of our training has paid off," I said to him, grabbing his left hand. I could feel his ring, cold and hard against my fingers. "C'mon. Let's go to bed."


	3. Jack is Missing

When I woke up the next morning, Jack was gone. I figured he went to work, but when his phone rang on the bedside table, I was immediately worried. I picked up his phone and saw it was Tom, so I answered it. Tom asked me if Jack was with me, and why he wasn't at work.

I looked outside and his car was gone.

Jack is never without his phone, so as soon as I saw that his car wasn't in the driveway, I started to panic. I had no idea where he was, he never showed up for work, Sean made a surprise appearance the night before, and I had no way to contact him.

I probably wouldn't have worried so much if Sean hadn't come out. He said it had something to do with Sarah, a good friend of ours that was killed last year by Dark. Mekiah, Sarah's girlfriend, lived with us for a while after Sarah was killed, but she decided it was time to move back home about six months ago. She never went through a proper grieving process after Sarah died because we were all still fighting for our lives, looking for ways to kill Dark, and learn about our new-found bloodlines. I spoke to Mekiah daily, though. Besides Jack, she is my best friend.

I called her.

"Hey, Markimoo! What's up?" she said cheerfully when she answered. I didn't call very much. We usually texted or chatted on Skype, so she was surprised when I called on the phone.  
"Not much... um, have you by chance heard from Jack? Or seen him?" I tried to sound casual, but she knew me way too well.

"No, what happened?! Is everything alright?" She paused for a second, doing her little psychic brain thing, then whispered "Sean... He was there! Are you okay, Mark?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. He showed up last night, but he wasn't around for long. I went to bed with Jackaboy last night, but when I woke up this morning he wasn't here. He left his phone," I told her.

"Welp," she said, and I could hear her stand up, "looks like I am making an unplanned visit today, friend!" she said. She sounded excited to come see me, but the circumstances were just all wrong.

"Kia," I said to her before we hung up, "there's something else... something you need to know."

"What is it, Mark?"

"Sean. Last night. He said the reason he came back is because of Sarah."

"W-what do you mean?" I heard her gasp and her voice cracked.

"I dunno. He was really vague. He said he wasn't there for me, but that Sarah is alive and she has something that Sean wants."

"H-how...? I mean, remember when I had my little breakdown last year before you did your angelic therapy session? I saw Sarah, I reached out to her, touched her. I felt that she wasn't gone... But that was the only time. I have never seen, heard or felt her again after that."

"Just... get here as fast as you can. We need to find Jack and figure out what the hell is going on. And Kia? Be careful. Please."

I hung up and of course my brain wouldn't be still. _Relax, Mark,_ I told myself. _He probably just ran to the store or something. He is fine._

I really started to panic when he didn't come home that evening. By that time he had been gone for 14 hours.

Mekiah made dinner for the two of us, but I couldn't eat. "I'm going to look for him," I said, grabbing my phone and looking for my car keys.

"Do you want me to come with you? I may be able to guide you to him," she said, looking worried.

"No, please just stay here in case he comes back."

"You sure?"

"Yep. I kind of need some time alone. I need to put myself in the mind of a demon and figure out where he could be."

"Put yourself in the mind of a demon? Mark, you are part angel… how could you possibly figure this out on your own?" she asked.

I figured now would be as good a time as any to reveal to her what I had been training myself for. I stood up before her and reached down to the depths of my being to access the power of my angelic DNA.

"Jack and I have been learning some things recently, Kia. I have been training my mind and body to be able to tap into my natural abilities, to be able to call on them and use them at will," I said quietly.

She just looked at me with wide eyes.

I continued, "Jack has been training to be able to do just the opposite. He has learned how to push Sean out if and when he ever comes. Last night was the first time he ever had to put his training to use, and he actually did it! He was able to knock Sean right out of him, although it took me having to get through to Jack to tell him to do it. I don't think he knows when Sean takes over."

"Well, it's a step in the right direction, right?" She asked me.

"Of course it is!" I said. She just stared at me, looking like she wanted to ask me something. I knew exactly what she wanted.

She wanted to see the angel.

I gave her a knowing smile, and nodded. I lowered my head and clenched my fists, drawing my power in the way I had done so many times before while I was alone and naked, Book of Angels in hand.

It took a while before I was able to complete the task on my own, without reading words, performing small rituals and swearing in frustration. But I eventually learned.

Head down and fists clenched, I drew my own power from myself, from the atoms and molecules of my blood. I felt that rush of heat deep within my belly, and I relished the feeling as it spread through me. I felt the overwhelming surge of power and strength flow through me, from my core down to my fingertips. I let out a primal roar and my whole body quaked and trembled. It was something that I just couldn't control, not that I wanted to.

The transformation takes less than fifteen seconds, a little longer if I am tired or hungry. Fear, stress, or immediate danger made it happen almost instantly.

Once I felt that the transformation was complete, I put my head up and opened my eyes, looking at Mekiah. She gasped and fluttered a hand to her face, covering her mouth, eyes wide.

"Mark? A-are you…? Your… your eyes… " Her voice shook.

I laughed. "Of course. I don't change and become someone else like Jack and Sean. I am still me, just… much more powerful. Call me immediately if he comes back." I grabbed my car keys and headed for the door glancing back at her once more with glowing, golden eyes.

Once I was in the car, I sat still. I tried to concentrate, to feel him, to distinguish which direction I should head.

I felt nothing, and that filled me with fear.


	4. Lost and Found

I drove everywhere I thought he may be, but no luck. I couldn't find him anywhere. Mekiah called me about an hour after I had been out looking.

"He's here," she told me, and I breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. "He's really bad, Mark," she whispered.

"What?! What happened? Let me talk to him. Please."

Silence, then a soft voice… "M-Mark? Please… come home. I need you…"

I drove as fast as I could. I made it home in about ten minutes. I burst through the door.

"JACK?" I yelled as I ran in the front door. "JACK!?"

He walked out of the kitchen, and I gasped in shock and horror. His face was bruised and bloody, his knuckles busted up. "Jack! What the hell happened?!"

Before I could say any more, he rushed to me and threw himself in my arms, sobbing. Jack was hurt, both physically and emotionally. He saw something, probably through Sean's eyes, and was powerless to stop it.

"It's okay, Jack… I'm here," I whispered to him as he sobbed into my neck. "I'm here, Baby…"

"Mekiah, can you please run upstairs and get the first aid kit from the bathroom?" She complied.

"Jack," Mekiah said softly, handing me the first aid kit, "can you tell us what happened?" I started treating the cuts on his face and knuckles.

"I… I'm not really sure…" he said quietly. "I remember last night. I remember pushing him out of me. And I remember going to bed with Mark," he told her, "but going to bed was the last thing I remember. The next thing I knew, I realized I was… Sean. I don't know how I figured it out, but I was able to see through his eyes. He was… "

Jack started sobbing again.

"It's okay, Jackaboy. You are safe with me now. "

"Sean was… beating someone… or something. I'm not sure which. I panicked for a minute, then I remembered my training. It was hard, Mark… It was so hard to fight him. He was so full of hatred and rage! But I did it, I fought him and I beat him and I got out. Once I was me again, I took a minute to figure out where I was and what happened. I was in a building, like an abandoned warehouse or something. Whoever I… he was fighting was on the ground, bleeding, curled in a ball."

" _I don't think it was human, Mark…"_ he whispered.

"What happened after that?" I asked softly.

Jack glanced at Mekiah, then looked back to me. "I heard… Sarah." He lowered his gaze, then looked up at me with his sparking sapphire eyes. He was gorgeous. At that moment I was so in love with him and I felt so terrible for him.

"She was there, and she knew I was there. I heard her screaming my name! I looked for her, I called to her, I swear I did, and I followed the sound of her voice. She wasn't alone. I heard a man's voice, and I followed their voices to a door. By the time I got out there, I saw a black truck speeding away." He lowered his head. "I left the bloody… whatever it was, got in the car and came home."

Mekiah had tears streaming down her face. "Do you remember where it is? Would you be able to take us back to that place, Jack?" she asked softly.

He looked at her and simply said "yes."

Mekiah and I debated back and forth about whether or not we should leave now or wait. I wanted to wait because Jack was injured and scared. Mekiah wanted to go now in case Sarah was there. I reminded her that Sarah was taken away in a vehicle, and she may not even be there. Mekiah countered with the fact that she may be able to trace her psychic trail.

We ultimately left the decision to Jack. Both Mekiah and I looked at him, and a look of determination washed over his face. "Let's go," he said sharply, grabbing his phone, then heading upstairs to grab the knife that I keep in my dresser and a couple flashlights. He also grabbed the Book of Demons and the Book of Angels.

We piled in Jack's car. He said he knew where to go, and the way he was driving, I believed him. He turned his head to me, then took my hand in his. He squeezed a little bit and took a breath.

"Mark? Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, Jack," I answered. I knew what was coming.

"How did you… when did you learn to do that…? The angel thing I mean…"

I sighed. "I have been training myself this past year. I really just recently perfected it so I can turn on demand."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He sounded hurt.

I looked at him. He flashed his blue eyes at me quickly, not wanting to take his eyes off the road for too long.

"I didn't tell you because of Sean. If you knew I could do it, so would Sean, and that would have eliminated the element of surprise. Hell, for all I know, that single surprise last night may have saved my life."

Jack nodded in understanding. "Yeeh… that makes sense, I guess," he said. He was being too quiet… he wasn't being himself, and it was worrying me.

He drove to some city I had never been to. The area was run down and dirty, and the air smelled thick and stale. Jack pulled into a parking lot with a large building way in the back. The building had some windows that were broken and some windows with boards on them. There was a chain with a heavy padlock on the main door of the building, and the same thing on the back door, but the lock on the back door was broken off, the chain lying on the ground.

"This is the door I walked out of," Jack said, pulling the rusted industrial door. It stuck for a second, then groaned and made a loud _SQUEEEEEEAK_ when he finally got it to open.

I took a breath and turned to Jack.

"I love you. Forever."

"And I love you. For always."

And I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my lips to his, kissing him deeply, and savoring the kiss that he gave me in return. Then, fists clenched and eyes closed, I dug down deep and channeled my angelic side. I felt the intense warmth in my belly, the strength start to flow through me, and the deafening roar that always rises in my throat during the change.

I opened my eyes, knowing they were shining their golden glow, and looked at Jack. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open, but he snapped himself out of it when I placed my hand on his cheek and stroked his face with my thumb.

"That was really cool! I didn't get to see you do that last night!" he whispered while a huge smile crept onto his face. I chuckled.

We crept inside with caution, being very quiet and on alert. Mekiah was 'tuned in' to her Spidey senses, and I had my angel awareness on full blast. Jack was the only one that didn't have a supernatural advantage, but we were okay with that. He could keep _his_ shit locked up.

Almost immediately Mekiah perked up. She tilted her head as if she heard something, then started walking. All of my senses are hyper-aware when I am in angel form, but I couldn't see or hear anyone, so I trusted her instincts and followed her.

She walked through the building as if she had been there a hundred times, and went straight to a small room that looked have been a janitor or cleaning closet some time ago.

"She was here!" Mekiah whisper-screamed, eyes wide. "There is no mistaking the feel of her psychic presence. She was here recently."

"But she is gone now," Jack cut in. "I told you, they took her."

Mekiah tried to sense where she had gone, but when she cried out in frustration, I figured she had failed. We looked around a little more, but we found nothing at all to help us, so we headed home, defeated.


	5. Jack vs Sean

We asked Mekiah to stay, and she agreed. She still had some things in her old bedroom, and she stayed in that room any time she came to visit. All of us were exhausted from triggering our supernatural and psychic sides.

We sat and talked for a little while, but Mekiah soon said she needed to get some sleep. She dragged herself upstairs, but Jack and I stayed up for a while longer, snuggling up to watch a movie. We needed some time to wind down. We weren't use to having excitement like this in our lives anymore. We were a nerdy, boring couple now, and we liked it that way.

"Mark?" he asked, looking up at me with his huge, gorgeous sapphire eyes.

"Hmmm?"

"Is this shit going to start up again?" he asked, almost sounding like he was wondering to himself out loud.

"I dunno, Jackaboy," I whispered. "I hope not."

"We have to figure something out," he said, sitting up and turning to look at me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and ran my fingers through his green locks. His hair was so soft and he smelled so good. "We did it before, we can do it again. But now we are stronger," I whispered. "No worries, my love. Okay?" I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, lingering to enjoy the taste of him. He parted his lips to let me indulge more.

Jack broke our kiss. "Yeah… we are stronger, and that's what worries me, Mark. Sean is stronger. Even though I know how to push him out, I… I…" he trailed off.

"You what, Jack?" I saw worry in his eyes.

"I don't want to."

"What do you mean, you don't _want_ to?" I asked, scared and furious.

"I… I like the feeling, Mark. I like the power. I like the strength," he said, lowering his gaze from mine.

I stood up and paced the floor, trying to take in what Jack just told me. I understood perfectly what he meant by liking the power. I LOVED the feeling of taking my Nephilim form. But Jack was a cambion. Terrible thoughts plagued my head. What if he likes it so much that he never pushes Sean out? What if he turns one day and my Jack never comes back?

I had an idea, and I wanted to run it by him.

"Hey, what if I trained you like I trained myself? What if I trained you to trigger your inner demon? To pull from the cambionic DNA to fuel Jack instead of Sean?"

"But…" he looked at me, "I would still be a demon…" He trailed off.

"But you would be you," I said, "and not Sean."

"Do you think it will work?" he asked.

"I think so. I'm not sure what Sean is or why he completely takes over you when your cambion form is triggered," I said, "but it doesn't happen to me when I go Nephilim. We can train, then do some practice runs. I will be prepared for Sean, and after more training, you will too, so when we try to trigger your form we can push Sean out if he comes out instead of you."

"Okay. I'm willing to give it a shot. Anything to not have him in me anymore."

We started training that very night. We were not strangers to doing this type of learning, research and training, and Jack took to it easily. He read from the Book of Demons, and some things he had to figure out on his own since I couldn't read the Book of Demons.

After many hours of research, we decided to do a simple test run. We were prepared for Sean, but we were unsure if it would even work. I secured Jack's hands together with zip ties, then zip tied them to the banister.

Jack followed the ritual to the letter, and when I saw him clench his fists and squeeze his eyes shut, I knew it was close. I already turned Nephilim in preparation for what may happen.

I heard a deafening, growling roar escape Jack, then he lifted his head and stared at me with blazing green eyes.

"Jack?" I whispered.

He laughed. It wasn't Jack.

"Fuck!" I said, then took a deep breath. "Jack! Sean is here. Listen to me, _don't push him out yet."_

All the noise and yelling woke Mekiah, who came creeping down the stairs, eyes wide.

She made a move as if she were going to attack, but I shouted "NO!" and held up a hand to her. "We triggered this," I told her. "We are… trying... something."

Mekiah nodded and sat down on the stairs, watching with caution. I figured I may as well try to dig out some information while I had Sean available.

"Sean. It's a pleasure," I said sarcastically. He glared at me.

"What do you want, _Nephilim?"_ he growled.

"I want some answers. If you would be so kind…"

"I am a fucking _DEMON,_ Mark! I am NOT kind! Especially to _angels!"_ he snapped, staring into my glowing, golden eyes.

"You have been kind before… I know you can be again. Now, please, why do you want Sarah? If you tell us, we may be able to help you." I lied.

"I want her body…" he whispered, licking his lips.

"You FUCK!" Mekiah screamed, standing up. Sean laughed.

"Calm your tits, sugar," he said to her. "It's not like that. See, when Darkie Poo reanimated her cold, dead, bloody corpse, he forgot to add one thing to the mix… _her soul."_

I looked at Mekiah and saw tears start streaming down her cheeks. I looked back at Sean, surprised. "What?"

Sean laughed. It was an awful sound, and it gave me chills. "Oh yes," he said, smiling. "Your beloved Sarah is walking around without a soul. The Sarah you knew is gone. The love she felt is gone. She is a shell, a walking hunk of emotionless meat. If I can get to her, I can take her body, and I won't have to share with Pretty Boy Jack anymore. I won't be pushed out, I won't have to be triggered to appear. I will just be. Finally. In a body of my own.

Now, I think all of us can agree, that sounds like a luscious idea. Jack wouldn't have to deal with me, I wouldn't have to deal with him, you wouldn't have to freak out every time I came to visit, and I would never bother you again." A wide smile spread across his face, his eyes pulsing with excitement.

"Jack! Listen to me. Push him out, Jack! Push him out NOW!" I screamed.

Sean slammed his eyes closed and let out a roaring scream. His head fell forward, and suddenly he was silent. He opened his eyes and looked at me.

Blue. My baby's sapphire blue eyes stared back at me.

"Jack…" I ran to him and cut the zip ties, then scooped him up and hugged him tightly.

"Can't… breathe…" Jack whispered, and I laughed as I released him.

"It didn't work, babe. Sean came," I told him.

"I know," he said. "Mark? This time was different. It wasn't all fuzzy like it normally is, I wasn't confused, I didn't have to try to figure out what was going on or think about what I was supposed to do. I watched everything, clear as day. I listened to him. And I waited until you told me to push him out."

"Well, it looks like we made some sort of progress, then." I glanced at Mekiah, then looked back at Jack. "We need to keep trying. We can stop for tonight if you are too tired to continue, or we can keep going if you are up for it."

"Keep going," Jack said. "I was close, I could feel it."

Jack got up and opened the Book of Demons again, skimming through as if he were looking for something specific. I was watching him, studying his face, his features, his eyes. He was so gorgeous. _How is this lovely creature in love with me? How is this amazing man my soulmate?_ I thought to myself.

I smiled when I saw him find what he was looking for. His face lit up, and he started scribbling something in his little notebook. He looked up at me and said "I think I found what I was missing. I want to try again."

We went through the same routine, with the zip ties and the banister. Fists clenched and eyes closed, I prepped myself for the growling roar I knew was coming.

But this one was different. It was softer. Not any less loud, just not as rough. It was less depths of hell growl and more gritty determination mixed with fear.

He lifted his head slowly, but kept his eyes shut. His body was trembling, and there were beads of sweat on his forehead. Some strands of green hair were stuck to his wet forehead, crossing over the long scar, making an X.

Eyes closed, he took in a breath. "Mark…" he said, then slowly opened his eyes.

I gasped when I saw his eyes. They were still blue, but they were… different. Lighter. They almost had a silver glow. I immediately knew it worked. He did it.

"Jackaboy! You did it!" I screeched, running over to him. I stopped short when I saw him tilt his head and smile. I instinctively took a step back. _Remember, Mark, he is still a demon…_


	6. Jackademon

"Mark! Please untie me," Jack asked, looking up at me with his glowing blue-silver eyes.

"Jack… I…" I said. I was being cautious.

"Babe. It's me. I'm not going to do anything. You can trust me. I'm not Sean," he said.

"Okay, I will untie you, but I am still going to be on full guard until I know I can trust you. Mekiah is right here, too, armed and ready for anything.

"Understood," he nodded.

I moved to him and snipped the zip tie that was secured around his wrists. As soon as the band snapped I took a step back, but Jack just sat there, rubbing his wrists. He smiled, seeming to be himself, yet not himself.

"I wanna look in a mirror." He said, smiling, and I chuckled.

"Just for the record, you look amazing," I told him, unable to take my eyes off of his. The blue-silver glow his eyes had captivated me. They were stunning.

Jack bounded up the stairs two at a time, giggling and whooping, letting out a _"BOOPER DOOPER! HERE COMES JACKADEMON! HAHAHAHA!"_ His silliness made me laugh, and I could tell he was the same Jack, my Jack, just… more powerful.

I could hear him laughing while he was upstairs checking out his new look in the bathroom mirror. "It looks like I'm wearing fucking contacts!" he yelled, and I turned to Mekiah, smiling.

"That went better than I hoped," I said, looking at her with my shining, golden eyes.

"Yeah. I sense that he is the same Jack we love, but one thing concerns me," she said.

"What?" I asked, the smile fading from my face.

"When this Jack is happy, he is really happy. What happens when this Jack gets angry?"

What happens?

"I have to admit, well for me anyway, when I change, every feeling, every sense, every sight, smell, sound and taste are intensified immensely. I assume it is going to be the same for Jack. Let's just hope he can channel any anger or aggression where we need him to," I said.

"Yeah, like at Sean. If Sean succeeds and gets into Sarah like he plans…" Mekiah's eyes filled with tears and she dropped her eyes to the floor, "We are going to have to kill her. Again."

I hugged Mekiah and held her for a moment when Jack came back down the stairs. "How did I miss the love fest?" he said, and came to wrap his arms around both of us, then bouncing like an idiot and clapping his hands.

I was thinking about what Mekiah said earlier, that if Sean managed to get to Sarah that we would have to kill her, and I knew she was right.

I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what I was about to say.

"Okay, listen. What I am about to say is gonna sound really fucked up, but please hear me out," I said to both of them. I stepped back. "I think we should find Sarah, let Sean take her, then kill her… I mean him."

They both looked at me like I had two heads. Mekiah was immediately angered.

"That's a really fucked up thing to say," Mekiah said angrily.

"But," Jack cut in, "what Mark says makes sense. It isn't Sarah. Sarah is dead. She is gone. What is here is purely a meat suit."

"And," I took over, "if we let Sean take her, we can kill him, since he won't be in Jack anymore."

"So, if I agree to this, we have to figure out one more thing…"

"What's that?" I asked her.

"How do we kill a demon?"

* * *

Jack and I changed back to ourselves, then we started scanning the Book of Angels and the Book of Demons, looking for anything we could find on how to kill a demon. I figured Jack would have better luck finding what we needed in the Book of Demons, but I was wrong.

I found what we needed in the Book of Angels. According to Jack, the Book of Demons was filled with rituals and detailed accounts of possession and blood sacrifice. The Book of Angels was more focused on how to stop the evil described in the Book of Demons.

"Here. I think I found something," I said to him. It was written in black ink, meaning he would be able to see and read it. He was reading over my shoulder, and I when he leaned close, I could feel his warm breath on my neck.

Jack was reading what I found, and I could feel him shiver, like he read something that disgusted him. His breathing got a little heavier and I could feel the warmth of it on my neck again, and it was driving me crazy.

I turned around in my chair and looked up at him. He looked down at me, smiled and said "what?"

"Nothing. I… you are just sexy, that's all…"

Jack laughed. "Where is this coming from?" he asked.

"Your breath," I said, smiling.

"My… breath?"

"Mhmm. I could feel it on my neck, and it is making me crazy," I told him.

He knelt down in front of me and put his hands on my thighs. "Well, maybe I should take advantage of that," he said, his hands drifting farther up my thighs.

Mekiah let out an audible groan. "UGGHH! My god, get a room, you two!" she whined. Jack and I both looked at her and laughed.

"We have one… this is our house, brat!" Jack said, Mekiah just shaking her head and smiling.

* * *

There were things required to kill a demon that we didn't have in the house. Jack had his nose buried in the Book of Demons again, and I was trying to gather some things we had in the house. Mekiah volunteered to make a run to the store to gather the things that we didn't have.

I intended on taking advantage of the time she was gone. Ever since Jack changed form, I couldn't stop thinking about him… his sexy eyes and warm breath on my neck. I couldn't get the thought of his shining, silver-blue gaze out of my mind.

"I'm going to get the rest of the supplies," she said, and grabbed her keys. I was packing some things into a backpack and Jack was scribbling something in his notebook. As soon as the door shut, I walked into the kitchen where Jack was sitting at the table, head down, pen scratching furiously on paper.

I walked up behind him, and he didn't even seem to notice that I was there, until I ran my fingers through his hair. He tilted his head a little and sucked in a breath through his teeth. I ran my fingers from his hair down the back of his neck, then lowered my head to taste where my fingers trailed off near his collar bone.

I traced my fingers back up to his hair, then clenched my fists, his hair still in hand, closed my eyes, and let out a primal roar…

 _This is gonna be fun,_ I thought to myself as I felt the heat spread from my belly once again…


	7. Unexplored

_This chapter contains_ _ **ADULT CONTENT.**_ _If you are_ _ **UNDER 18 YEARS OLD,**_ _or you do not want to read_ _ **SEPTIPLIER LEMONS,**_ _please skip this chapter and go to the next one. You will not miss any of the main story, I PROMISE! 3_

* * *

"Change," I growled in a whisper, practically panting in his ear.

He didn't move. I felt him shiver, and his breathing got heavier. I imagine he closed his eyes.

 ** _"CHANGE!"_** I demanded loudly, then pulled his head back by his hair. He gasped, then I watched him clench his fists and I felt him tremble under my hand as he let out a roaring growl.

Once his transformation was complete, I pulled his head back, still holding his hair, and devoured his neck, sucking and biting until I heard him let out a growling moan. I released my death grip on his hair, and he immediately jumped up, knocking the chair over in the process.

He looked into my golden eyes for the briefest of seconds through his own glowing silver eyes, then grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me around, pushing me into the table. He smashed his mouth to mine, pressing himself into me. He lifted me into the table like I was weightless, and my legs wrapped around his waist instinctively.

I felt his hands tug at the bottom of my shirt, then I felt their warmth and strength on my stomach and sides. His hands explored my belly, chest and back as if he didn't know every inch of me already.

Every sensation was heightened for both of us by being in our alternate forms, and the feeling was inexpiable. Jack moved to my neck, finding my sweet spot and making me cry out when he began to nibble and suck, and I could feel him once again marking me as his.

I opened my eyes to see him staring right at me, devouring me with his gaze. My body was moving with his as he pressed into me, and I leaned back when his hands ripped at the bottom of my shirt, pulling it over my head. I followed suit and ripped his shirt from his back, pulling it over his head with one hand in one swift motion.

We were both shirtless, and he was still standing in front of me, pressing me down into the table, my legs still wrapped around him. He was definitely in charge right now, and the change in roles was thrilling and turning me on more than ever.

 _"Demon,"_ I growled as I was looking at him, panting and trying to catch my breath, "do you think you have what it takes to control _me?!"_

"We're going to find out, _Angel,"_ he whispered, then kissed me again with the fury and fire of a thousand suns.

He put his hands under my ass, and lifted me straight off the table like I weighed nothing. He started walking, but he didn't go where I thought he would. I was expecting him to carry me up the stairs to our bedroom, but instead he turned and pressed my back into the wall.

"You weigh nothing while I am in this form," he said to me and laughed. "I can do with you whatever I please. I like having control over you," he said through half-closed, shining silver-blue eyes. I could feel him pressing himself into me, and he was rock hard. He lifted me again and set me on the kitchen counter.

I explored his neck with my mouth, wanting to taste every inch of him, and I felt him pop the button on my jeans while I was marking his neck, sucking and biting furiously. I could hear and feel his breath getting heavier and quicker as he pulled my jeans and boxers down, leaving them in a heap on the kitchen floor.

"What… about Mekiah? She… could be… back soon…" I whispered, but Jack just laughed and said "that just makes it more exciting!" and he kissed me again, while popping the button then tugging at the waist of his own jeans.

Oh, god! What have I done?!

My mind was racing, my heart was pounding, I could hear my blood roaring through my veins, my supernatural senses were going crazy! Everything felt amazing, and once again, like so many times before, it all felt new and right and scary and intense.

I kissed him again, deep and long, relishing in the feeling of his warm, naked body pressed against mine. "How badly do you want me, _Nephilim?"_ he whispered into my ear, and it sent chills down my spine. Oh, god, I wanted him so badly, I _needed_ him to the point that it almost hurt!

"I want you so much, _Demon,"_ I panted, begging, "I need you… _please…"_ Jack moved his hand to my mouth, and I sucked on his index and middle fingers, making them incredibly wet, knowing what he intended to do next. This was mostly unexplored territory for me, as I was always top, but the thought of Jack taking control of me was intoxicating. I couldn't say no… and I didn't want to.

I could feel his right hand creeping downward, and his left hand found its way to my hair. Jack wrapped his fist around my hair and pulled my head back, kissing my neck right at that sweet spot, making me relax and melt into him as his fingers made their way into new territory.

I let out a moan, but I didn't let myself tense up. I just melted into the moment and allowed myself to enjoy the sensations that I was feeling. Jack made it easy, making my mind drift into pleasure I have never known. He worked his magic with his tongue on my neck, and I didn't even realize he was three fingers deep until he pulled them out and I felt him guiding himself in.

I closed my eyes and held my breath for pain I thought would come, but never did. Jack was very skilled and gentle (for a demon) and I almost came after his second thrust, the feeling was so intense and unbelievable, but he saw the look on my face, laughed, shook his head and said "oh, no no no! I can't have that now, can I? That would just be too soon and too selfish!" I groaned with want and need.

He clicked his tongue on the top of his mouth, and kissed me while moving slowly, oh so slowly, finding that magic spot that made me scream with pleasure.

"Jack! I…"

"Look at me, Mark!"

I opened my eyes and stared into his silver-blue eyes with my glowing golden gaze. Jack placed both of his hands on the sides of my face and kissed me, thrusting slightly faster now, our stare never breaking.

Jack pulled back from our kiss, but he kept his hands on my face, my hands were on his hips, pulling him harder into me with every thrust, keeping a steady pace, still staring into his eyes. I was moaning louder and panting harder than ever.

"Fuck!" I whispered, "Jack… I can't… I'm…"

"Mmhmm… Go ahead, Mark… Go now!" He growled, and that was all it took. His last thrust was hard and intentional, and I felt him fill me, I felt my own warm, wet release onto my belly.

Our eyes never parted.


	8. Let's Make a Deal

When Mekiah came home, Jack and I were coming down the stairs, hair dripping. She could tell right away that we had just gotten out of the shower. Mekiah scrunched her eyebrows, probably wondering why we were showering at such an odd time. She opened her mouth and raised her index finger like she was going to ask us, then thought better of it, made a face, shook her head and just said "Nevermind."

She placed a bag on the table, started pulling things out and setting them down. I grabbed my backpack.

Mekiah gave me an empty, decorative glass bottle, and she had one for herself. They had a very detailed and beautiful design on them, and they were sealed closed with a cork. She did not give one to Jack. She pulled out two large containers of salt, handing me one and placing one in her own backpack.

Jack instinctively took a step back, and I thought I saw him bare his teeth, almost snarling. I blinked and the look was gone. _Did I imagine that?_

Mekiah began to talk as she unpacked the large, cloth bag. "I went to a church," she informed us, pulling out a large plastic bottle filled with water. She opened a kitchen drawer and returned to the table with a small funnel. She started pouring water into each of the glass bottles and started speaking mid-pour.

"It was a Catholic church. The priest was very kind." She made a motion with her hand toward the water and said, "holy water." I looked at Jack, and he looked like he smelled something awful. He scrunched up his nose. I looked back at Mekiah.

"Didn't he think it was odd that a young woman would show up at the ass crack of dawn asking for holy water?" I asked her, genuinely curious.

"Apparently not, and if he did, he didn't show it," she said, corking the bottles. She reached into her backpack and pulled out the silver, gem encrusted dagger that was given to me by my father, then laid it on the table. "This is what I thought he would have been curious about. I asked him to bless it, and he did, no questions asked. Like I said, he was very kind." She smiled.

"Now, let's go kill us a demon!" she said with a menacing smile. 

* * *

"I have no idea where to start," I said, looking at Mekiah. "Any ideas?"

"Not the slightest," she said. We both turned and looked at Jack.

"What are you looking at me for? I have no idea either!" he told us.

"But Sean may…" I said, and I prepared myself for the transformations I knew both of us would be making.

We put everything in backpacks so Sean couldn't see any of the tools or supplies we had. If he got suspicious he wouldn't believe us, and he definitely wouldn't help us find Sarah.

I wrapped my arms around Jack, holding him, basking in his warmth and breathing in his essence. I kissed him gently, but he pulled me into his body and deepened our kiss, parting his lips, allowing me to taste him. He pulled back and planted tiny kisses on my lips and neck.

"I love you, Mark. For always," Jack whispered to me.

"And I love you forever," I whispered back, burying my face in his neck. I wanted to absorb this moment because I knew once we started this, things might not ever be the same again.

I grabbed some more zip ties and we once again went through the routine of tying Jack to the banister. I looked down at him. "I kinda like seeing you bound like this, Jack. I may have to pay you back for earlier…" I smiled a wicked, toothy grin and winked at him.

"EWWWW!" Mekiah screeched, crinkling up her nose and laughing.

"So, do you think you will be able to pull Sean out on demand?" I asked.

"All I can do is try, but no promises," Jack sighed heavily. "Get ready, Mark."

I changed forms more times in the last two days than I ever had, and it got easier every time I did it. Fists clenched, I closed my eyes and reached down into the atoms and molecules of my angelic DNA and pulled every bit of power they could spare. I could once again feel the heat form in my belly and rush through my veins out to the tips of my fingers. I felt my body start to tremble and shake uncontrollably. And just like every time, a deafening roar escaped my throat. I pulled my power with every fiber of my being. The transformation exhausted me and I dropped to my knees.

"Mark!" Jack shouted, clearly alarmed at my collapse.

"I'm okay. I'm fine," I said, standing up, breathing heavily.

"What happened?" Jack asked me quietly.

"I dunno… maybe getting more powerful with each change? It felt different. **_I_** feel different. Stronger," I said, and I could actually feel my eyes pulsing their golden glow.

Mekiah looked at Jack. "Ready?" she asked him.

"It's showtime, baby," I said to him, smiling.

Jack closed his eyes and lowered his head. He seemed to be concentrating, I assume on Sean. He sat there silently for a few minutes. Mekiah and I watched his fists clench up suddenly and his body started to quake. A sound that reminded me of distant thunder escaped from him, and his head started shaking, as if he were silently saying 'no no no no no' in a rapid fashion. His signature growling roar ripped through the house, then he was still.

I walked closer.

"Jack? You okay?" I asked cautiously.

His eyes opened, and I was once again greeted by Sean's blazing hellfire green gaze.

"Hello, pretty little angel. What do I owe the pleasure?" Sean barked sarcastically.

"Hi, Sean. I asked Jack to bring you here."

"Why?"

"Because I want to make a deal with you..."


	9. Let's Talk

"What the fuck would make you think I would ever want to make a deal with you, _Nephilim?"_ Sean shook his head. "I don't make deals with angels. No demons do."

"Not even if it is something... or someone you really want?" I asked, adding a flirty tone to my voice. I saw Sean's head perk up just a tiny bit. It was barely noticeable, I doubted that Mekiah even caught it, but she corrected me. "I saw..." she whispered. Sometimes I forget she is psychic, and she freaks me out.

"I'm listening," Sean growled, "but this better be good. I can tear Pretty Boy apart from the inside out, you know. Make him drown in his own blood..."

"Oh FUCK OFF!" I growled and grabbed his chin with my fingers and crouched down until our noses touched. I looked into his eyes and spat, "You won't, because if you did, you wouldn't have a body anymore. You would prance your fucked up demon ass right back into the pits of Hell, so stop fucking threatening me. I am trying to work something out so everyone can be happy.

Now listen. Jack and I talked. A lot. We decided it would be best to let you take Sarah," I said quietly, crouching down in front of him and leaned in close. I could feel his breath on my face.

It was so hard to look at him and comprehend that this wasn't my Jack. The realization always hit me the most when he spoke because his voice was so much deeper than Jack's, and he had a distinct way of speaking which was very different from Jack's. Plus, he didn't have an Irish accent.

Sean laughed sharply. "You actually think I am going to fall for your bullshit? No one would just hand over their friend," he shifted his eyes to Mekiah, "or lover," then turned back to me, "to a demon." Sean's eyes narrowed.

"We would, simply because we know that she is nothing more than a meat suit. Her spirit, the real Sarah, has moved on."

Sean looked irritated by my logic and reason. "So what's the catch? What's the _deal?_ There _are_ two sides to a deal, you know..."

"You leave Jack. For good. Never return, never come back, _EVER_. You don't hurt us, you just stay the fuck out of our lives," I snarled. "That's all we want."

Sean raised an eyebrow. "Interesting... I'm not saying no just yet. Keep talking, handsome... I like to listen to the transcendence of your sexy voice..." He licked his lips.

"There's one more thing," I said.

"Mhmm. There always is..."

"We don't know where she is. You have to tell us how to find her, but if you do, we will take you to her," I said quietly.

Sean laughed again and shook his head. "What makes you think I know where her cold, lifeless, soulless corpse is hiding?"

I stood up and started pacing in front of him. "Well, for starters, you showed up here after a year, and the next day you took over Jack's body and went to an abandoned warehouse where she just happened to be. I don't think that was a coincidence."

"So..." Sean said with a defeated tone, "Jack learned how to see through my eyes, did he?" He lowered his blazing green eyes and sighed. "I imagine he took you there, no?"

"Yes. He did. We didn't see Sarah, but Jack did once you were gone. He saw her being put into a black SUV by someone or something else. Any ideas where they could have taken her?"

Sean rested his head back against the wooden banister and closed his eyes. "I have an idea of where she may be. If you untie me, I could take you there," he said, fluttering his eyes open and looking up at me through his long eyelashes.

"Not a chance, _demon._ You tell us now, or you lose your chance at freedom," I snapped.

Sean sighed. "Can I at least have a piece of paper and a pen so I can draw a map?"

"Nope. Speak or no deal."

Another heavy sigh came from Sean. "Alright. But if you are fucking with me, _angel,_ or if you try any funny shit when I try to take her, I will find a way to come back for you. Jack as well. I will make you scream in ways your little cupcake Jackaboy _never_ could. I will hunt you down, I will torture you, I will destroy you. Then, when you are barely able to breathe and begging for your worthless, pitiful life, I will skin your precious Jack alive right in front of you. I will slit his pretty little throat. I will lick his warm blood off of my fingers and fuck his corpse before he has a chance to get cold. And then, _angel,_ I will fucking kill you, slowly." He lowered his head, eyes still on me, and let out a horrifying, growling laugh.

I swallowed hard, the nodded. "Understood." I shifted my eyes to look at Mekiah, and she looked back at me worriedly.

Sean's demeanor seemed to lighten. "So, do you geniuses know how to actually get me out of Jack?"

I looked at him, surprised. "Uhhh... NO?! I thought you did! I mean, why would you have gone to find her the other night if you didn't know how to possess her?"

He looked at me, smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I was bored. I figured I might try to... improvise, but I never got the chance."

I laughed. "I'll tell you what, _cupcake..._ We will work on finding a way on our end. We have plenty of information at our disposal. Don't try anything funny, or the deal is off. Once we have everything planned out, we will summon you again."

Sean nodded slightly.

"Jack? Push him out, Jack."

Sean's eyes squeezed shut, and Jack's head slammed backwards into the banister. I could hear Sean laughing as Jack's head cracked the hard wood over and over again. By the time I realized what was happening and got to him to stop his skull from cracking open, he hit it five or six times. I could see blood on the banister.

I was holding Jack's head in mine when he finally let out his signature roar, telling me my Jack was back. He opened his eyes and I was thankfully staring into his sapphire gaze. Tears began to well up in his eyes, then spill down his flushed cheeks.

"M-mark?"

"I'm here, Jackaboy," I cut the zip ties and cradled him in my arms. "Shhh... I'm right here. I've got you."

I gently ran my hand over the back of his head to survey the damage. I felt blood immediately. When I pulled my hand back, I saw more blood than I cared to.

"Jack, baby, I have to take you to the hospital," I whispered to him, and he started shaking his head, saying "no, no, please, Mark... no..."

"I have to. We will tell them you wiped out on your skateboard, and your head hit the pavement. I need to make sure you don't have a concussion, and you definitely need stitches."

Mekiah ran upstairs, and when she came back she handed me some towels. I placed a towel on the back of his head, applying as much pressure as I could. Mekiah went to the kitchen, and came back with a Ziplock bag full of ice.

"Great plan, genius," she said, picking up her backpack and mine. "Get him to the car. I'll drive."

I lifted Jack from the floor, and he felt weightless. I almost forgot I was still in Nephilim form. I carried him to the car, and he was sobbing, begging me not to take him to a hospital.

"Babe, no worries! They will just stitch you up and you will come home with me tonight. It won't be like before. I promise." I kissed his lips, and pressed my forehead against his. "I've got you, Jack. I will never let you go. I will take care of you. I promise."


	10. The Rainbow Flag Tattoo

I lifted Jack into the back of Mekiah's SUV, and got in the back with him. He was laying across the seat with his bleeding head in my lap. I was pressing the blood soaked towel against his bleeding head as hard as I could to try to stop the bleeding. I looked at Jack's face, but his eyes were squeezed shut. I ran my thumb across the scar on his forehead and he opened his eyes. I could see his crystal blue eyes well up with tears when his gaze caught mine.

I smiled at him, and he forced a smile back. "Dudes dig scars, too... right, Mark? I guess I will have another one," he whispered, a tear sliding out of the corner of his eye.

I chuckled lightly and nodded my head. "Just another reason for me to touch you more, Jackaboy." I wiped his tear away. "No worries, okay? I'm here. They are just going to stitch you up and you will be as good as new."

Jack closed his eyes. "NO! Jack, you need to open your eyes. Look at me, focus on me. If you have a concussion, you can't go to sleep, or it may be coma city for you again. Please don't do that to me."

Jack opened his eyes. "So tired, Mark..." he said, and I could tell he was struggling hard to stay awake.

"Sit up," I told him, and I pushed him upright easily. I hadn't changed form yet, and he was like a feather. "You will be less likely to fall asleep if you are sitting up." I continued to apply pressure to his head.

"My head hurts really badly, Mark," Jack said to me, wincing a little as he fidgeted to get comfortable.

"I know, baby. I know."

* * *

We arrived at the hospital, and I changed out of Nephilim form before we went in. I had to struggle to help Jack walk into the emergency room, even with Mekiah helping from the other side. Everything feels ten times heavier after I change back to normal Mark.

We sat Jack down in a chair, and I went to get him checked in. I approached the reception desk. "I have brought someone in that has a very nasty head injury. He needs stitches and may have a concussion," I told the woman behind the desk as I handed her Jack's ID and insurance cards. She nodded and began typing.

"I see he has been here before. Last year. Is all of his information the same? Address and phone number the same?" She asked.

"YES! Can you please help him? He is bleeding very badly!" I snapped at her, looking down at the blood covering my right hand. I raised it up and her eyes widened as if she didn't believe he needed stitches, but understood the severity of the situation now. She picked up a phone, and moments later two employees came out to the waiting room with a wheelchair.

I rushed over to them and helped Jack get into the wheelchair. "Mark?" Jack said, looking at me with fear in his eyes.

"I'm right here," I said, and took his hand with my left, not wanting to smear his hand with more blood.

Jack looked at one employee and said "Can he come with me? Please? I need him to come with me..." His eyes were pleading with the man.

"Of course he can," the man said, smiling at Jack, then he nodded at me. I saw Jack visibly relax a little. "Can you tell me what happened?" the man asked as he started wheeling Jack toward a hallway into the emergency room.

"I wiped out on my skateboard. Cracked my melon on the concrete," Jack said, squeezing my hand. I gave a little squeeze back for reassurance.

The hospital staff began working immediately, cleaning Jack's wound and giving him medicine. "What are you giving me? Jack asked as the nurse jammed a long needle into Jack's arm.

"This one is an anti-inflammatory. It will help reduce swelling and inflammation, and it will help with the pain. This one," he said as he held up an equally long needle, "is Demerol. It is for pain. You will feel pretty great in just a minute," the man said, and I saw a smile drift across Jack's face and his eyes cross just for a split second. His entire body relaxed and he had a goofy look on his face. I knew the Demerol started working, and I laughed at Jack's reaction.

Jack started mumbling some incoherent babble, then he started giggling. "lurve ya, Merk!" he slurred, and his accent got very thick and pronounced. I couldn't help but to giggle at him. "I love you too, ya nutjob," I told him, and he giggled.

A man in a white coat walked in. He was tall, with red-brown hair, green eyes and very fair skin. He had freckles peppered across his nose and cheeks, and he seemed to be barely 30 years old. I assumed he was a doctor, though, and I was right. The nurse was right behind him, wheeling in a cart. Both men started pulling gloves on. The nurse was setting up supplies on the cart, opening packages and preparing for Jack to get sewn back together.

"Hi, I'm Dr. O'Casey," the man said with a distinct Irish accent. Jack's face lit up, and his eyes got wide. He smiled brightly. "Are you... Jack McLoughlin?" He asked, looking at the ID bracelet on Jack's wrist.

"BY JAYSUS, I sure am! How the hell are ya, doc?!" Jack said loudly. The doctor smiled.

"Well I'll be a badger's arse! Another Irishman! It's lovely to meet ya!" the doctor replied, also smiling sincerely. "Let's see what's going on with ya, lad! What did ya do to yerself?"

The doctor pulled out a small flashlight and looked into Jack's pupils, studying them carefully. Jack told the man he had fallen while skateboarding, and the man chuckled lightly. "Never a dull moment, huh, Jack?" Jack was beaming.

"Well, let's get ya stitched up, then, by god," he said, walking behind Jack. He looked at me and asked "are you immediate family?"

"Uh... no. Do you need me to leave?" I asked, and I heard Jack let out a little whimper and whispered "Mark, no, please..."

The doctor looked at Jack, then looked down and noticed his hand gripping mine. His face softened for a second, then smiled and said "It's okay. You can stay." The doctor then rolled up his left sleeve to reveal a small tattoo of a rainbow colored flag just above the crook of his elbow. He winked at me. Jack couldn't see it because the man was standing behind him. I nodded in understanding and thanked him.

The doctor made quick work of closing up the gash on Jack's head. I saw Jack wince a few times, but when I asked him if it hurt, he said no, he just felt weird pressure.

Once he was done, the doctor told us it took twenty two stitches to get the wound closed. He told us that he thinks Jack may have a small concussion, but nothing to be overly alarmed about. He advised me to make sure Jack didn't go to sleep for at least four more hours. He also advised me of some things to watch for, then said his farewells and left the room.

"He was awesome," I told Jack. "He let me stay, when he should have made me leave."

"Why?" Jack asked. "Why would he break the rules for you, for us?"

I told Jack about his gay pride tattoo, and a warm smile spread across his lovely face.

The nurse came in with Jack's discharge papers and wound care instructions. "UGH! this again?!" I moaned.

"You have done this before?" he asked, and I told him about last year, about Jack's coma, about his broken arm and leg, and the many, many stitches he had in his head and belly.

"Oh! So you're the famous Jack! Kara _still_ talks about you to this very day!" he said and chuckled.

"Is Kara here today?" Jack asked.

"She sure is. She is up in ICU. I could call her down if you would like to say hi," he said cheerily.

"I would love to, but I don't want to bother her."

"Oh, I assure you, it won't be a bother," he said, already pressing his cell to his ear. "Kara, could you come down to the ER, triage room 9, please. I have a patient I need you to see... Yeah... No, he isn't critical, but it is kind of important you see him. Okay, see you in five."

The nurse looked at Jack and smiled. "Kara is on her way down."

Jack and I smiled at each other.


	11. Wedding Woes

"Jack! How are you!" Kara screeched as soon as she saw who she had been called down to see. She ran to Jack and hugged him, then looked at me and smiled. She walked to me and wrapped her arms around me. "Mark! You look well! Have you been taking good care of my favorite patient?"

"Apparently not as well as I should be," I told her, pointing to Jack's bandaged head.

"Ohmigosh! What did you do this time?" she asked Jack, sitting on the end of his bed.

"I... wiped out on my skateboard. I was trying to to a trick jump and landed flat on me back, smacking my skull on the pavement." Our lie was becoming like second nature.

"Oh wow. You really need to be more careful," Kara said like a mother hen. "How many stitches this time?"

"Twenty two," Jack chuckled.

"But," Kara said, holding up a finger for emphasis, "as I recall, dudes dig scars, too. Am I right, Mark?" she said, and winked at me.

"Hell yeah, girl! I still get weak in the knees when I see the scar on Jack's belly," I confessed. I felt myself blush a little, but I didn't care. This woman literally brought Jack out of a coma. I felt I could say anything to her.

"I see something shiny on your left hand, boo. Is that what I think it is?" Kara asked, smiling and looking at my hand to see if I was wearing a similar band.

"We aren't married. Yet," Jack said, smiling and glancing over at me. "But we are engaged. It happened a few months ago."

"Oh, honey, I am so happy for you guys!" She leaned over and hugged Jack again, and gave me a wink. "So, when is the wedding?"

Jack looked at me, and I looked at him. Our eyes locked for a moment before I said "we haven't gotten that far in the planning process."

"I see. Well, you can't stay engaged forever. You at least need to set a date. Listen," Kara dug in her pocket and pulled out a small card. She took a pen from her other pocket and started scribbling something on the back of it. "Here is my card. It has my cell number as well as the number for the ICU floor that I work on. My sister is a wedding planner, and I can get her to give you two a great rate. She is really good, you won't have to worry about a thing." Kara handed the card to me.

"Thanks, Kara. Really. We appreciate it." I told her sincerely.

"One condition, though. You HAVE to invite me! I ADORE weddings!" She said, giggling.

"Absolutely!" Jack said, smiling like a madman. "Hey," Jack said to her in a whisper, "did you know Dr. O'Casey is gay?"

"No! He is? How did you find out?" She looked completely shocked.

"He let me stay while he stitched Jack up. He asked if I was family and I said no, but he saw Jack holding my hand then he lifted his sleeve to show me a gay pride tattoo he has on his left arm."

"Well, that explains why Dr. Sexy always turns down the female nurses when they come on to him!" Kara giggled. "He has shattered the self-esteem of at least 9 women in this hospital alone!" Jack and I both started laughing.

Kara looked at her watch and reluctantly said "I have to go, guys. I have rounds. It was really great to see you both! I am glad your other wounds healed so well! Too bad you have something new to deal with."

"You have NO idea," Jack said in a low voice as she stood up. She leaned down and hugged Jack, and I stood to hug her as well. "See you later, Kara. Thanks for stopping to visit!"

Kara waved as she opened the door, then she was gone.

I gathered up the few things we had there, my backpack, my phone and Jack's, his discharge and after care papers, and I helped him up so we could leave.

Mekiah was in the waiting room when we walked out of the ER, and she stood when she saw us come out. "That didn't take too long," she said. "Let's get Jack home so he can get some rest."

We piled in Mekiah's vehicle, Jack and I both sitting in the back so I could make sure he didn't fall asleep. _How the hell do they expect to keep a person with a concussion awake after giving them opiate pain medications?_ I thought to myself.

* * *

"So, what the hell are we suppose to do now? I mean, about Sean and Sarah?" Mekiah inquired on the ride home.

"Well, we need to research how to rid a demon from a person that isn't actually possessed, and we also need to find Sarah. These things will take time, and Jack needs some time to recuperate," I said.

"Okay, I've been thinking," Mekiah huffed. "Since you two are the book experts, you can find the demon information. I'm sure between all the crap you have at your house and everything at the store you can find something. Also, do you remember the massive collection of books I have at my house? Well, I have a tome or two on demonology. I was planning on heading back home for the weekend to gather some of Sarah's personal belongings, and I was going to go on a psychic pilgrimage, if you will, to get more in-tune with my abilities. I may be able to track her easier. It will also give Jack an opportunity to heal up a little. I'm sure a week or two pouring over books will be better than pounding the streets looking for a dead girl. I plan on heading back toward your place after I go home, so I will drop the books off."

"Sounds like a plan," I said.

We got back to the house, and Mekiah followed us in to quickly gather up the few things she had there. We said goodbye and she promised she would be back on Sunday evening to drop off some books.

Jack plopped himself on the sofa, looking exhausted. "I'm really tired, Mark," he said to me.

"I know, baby, but you have to stay awake," I told him, sitting down next to him. I placed my hand on his face and ran my thumb down his cheek. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Mark?" Jack said quietly, looking rather shy.

"What's up, buttercup?" I asked playfully.

"I was thinking... about what Kara said. Maybe we should take a break from the Sean situation for a minute and focus on us for a little bit." Jack bit his bottom lip, looking worried.

"Jack? Is this bothering you? Are you really worried about it?" I shifted my position so I was sitting cross-legged, facing him. "We can talk about anything you want. I never want you to think you can't talk to me. I'm here for you always. I want to support you and comfort you in any way I can."

"Well," Jack started, then paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. "It's just that we talked about getting married before, and when you finally proposed to me, I had a million thoughts. I was so happy, I couldn't stop thinking about what it will be like... I made plans in my head, thought of a million things, but every time I tried asking you about it, you just brushed it off and told me we have plenty of time to decide. We never even set a date. It's like you are avoiding it all together." Jack's eyes began to shine brightly from the tears welling up in his beautiful sapphire eyes.

"Jack... I..."

"No, Mark, I feel like you just gave me this ring to appease me, and you never had any intention of going through with it. Any mention of it from me or anyone else and the subject gets changed immediately. Are you just satisfied with what we have? I don't want to marry you if you aren't in this 100%." A tear spilled from Jack's left eye, and he quickly brushed it away.  
I took his hand in mine and looked into his eyes. "Listen. There is nothing I want more than to commit myself to you forever. And I have! We are soulmates, remember? We don't need a piece of paper to tell us that, Jack."

"But this is exactly what I mean! Those words tell me you don't want to get married! I mean, we wouldn't have had to go through that whole deal at the hospital if we were! And we got lucky that the doctor was cool. If it were anyone else, I would have had to sit there alone, Mark! I don't want to do that!" Jack looked away from me and whispered, "If you don't want to marry me, just say so. We don't have to get married, but I don't want to live under the pretense that it will happen if it won't..."

I sighed deeply. "Jackaboy, I love you. More than anything. There is nothing that would make me happier than to be your husband. So, let's do this. We can talk about it. We can set a date. We can start making plans and lists and thinking of who we will invite. We can discuss where and when, the music and the menu, all of it. I'm all in, okay?" I put my fingers under his chin and turned his face toward mine. His eyes caught mine, and our eyes locked. "One condition, though..."

"What's the condition?" he asked, eyebrows scrunched.

"You have to take my name. Jack Fischbach. Deal?" I asked, still holding his chin in my fingers.

Jack smiled brighter than the sun. "Deal!"

I leaned in, slid my hand on the back of his neck, and kissed him.


	12. Early Morning Secrets

I woke up early. I tried to go back to sleep, but my mind was racing. I turned to look at Jack, who was curled up next to me, breathing slowly and evenly, his skin warm against mine. I brushed a lock of green hair out of his eye, a habit of mine, and I smiled a little. _I love you more than you could ever know, my little leprechaun..._

Everything was going so great this past year now that Dark was finally dead and out of our lives, but the recent events with Sean were fucking everything up. I really had started thinking of wedding surprises for Jack, trying to figure out which idea would be the one Jack would love the most.

I always avoided the conversations because I was doing my own super secret planning. I had to find information on some things. Jack is living in the U.S. under a work Visa, which he has to renew every six months. If we were to get married in the States, he wouldn't have to do that anymore, and that small, lingering fear that his application for renewal would get denied could finally go away, but he would have to apply for a Green Card, which required more forms and information.

But I have also been thinking about surprising him with a trip to Ireland, so we could get married there. I wanted to plan it all out ahead of time, but I needed to make sure the timing was right. I needed to know if a surprise, pre-planned wedding would be a dream come true for him, or if he would hate me for not allowing him to have any input on what could possibly be the biggest and best day of our lives. I was trying to test the waters, and I had been communicating with Jack's family on the matter, especially Jack's sister, who was more than willing to gather information from that side of the ocean.

I needed to know if marrying someone in Ireland would be valid in the U.S., especially someone living here on a work Visa. I needed to know what kinds of paperwork would have to be filed, if I had to consult with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, if all I had to do was get a valid marriage license from the United States, or Ireland, or both... It was all so much. _And Jack thought I didn't want to get married... If he only knew how much I did..._

 _Why did I have to go and fuck it all up? What can I do to show him how much I love him and I do want to marry him?_

 __

I slipped quietly out of bed, being careful not to wake Jack. It was Saturday, and he didn't have to work. He hasn't been sleeping that well since Sean showed up again, and I'm sure if he were to wake up now he would still be groggy from the pain meds he got last night.

I slipped into some sweat pants, threw on a T shirt and tip-toed downstairs to make some coffee. Once I got the coffee brewing, I pulled out some notebooks, my laptop, and a pen. I opened my email to find I had a reply from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, regarding some inquiries I made a number of weeks prior.

* * *

 _Mr. Fischbach,_

 _This email is in regards to the information you have requested on September 2, 2016._

 _As I am sure you are aware, same sex marriage is indeed legal and binding in the State of California. No specific action is needed for same sex couples to be legally married in the State of California. Simply obtaining a legally binding marriage license is sufficient._

 _Since Mr. McLoughlin is in the United States under a Work Visa, his employer is required to sponsor him, which I am sure you are aware. From my understanding, since you are the co-owner of the company which employs Mr. McLoughlin, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requests Thomas Fischbach to be the official sponsor. Our records indicate that Thomas Fischbach is listed as Mr. McLoughlin's employer and sponsor on his Work Visa forms, and you are listed as a secondary sponsor. Once your marriage is legal and valid, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requests your name be removed from the employer sponsorship._

 _Once the marriage is valid, Mr. McLoughlin will have to apply for permanent residence and obtain a Green Card._

 _You, as his spouse, would have to fill out an Affidavit of Support (form I-864) to validate that you have the ability to support him, whether he is working or not. Since Mr. McLoughlin is working, his income may be added to the Affidavit of Support form. The decision to add his income to the Affidavit of Support is under your and your future spouse's discretion._

 _Both of you will have to attend several interviews, one held at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, located at_ _ **300 North Los Angeles St. Los Angeles, CA 90012**_ _, one held at your residence, and one held at Mr. McLoughlin's residence. If Mr. McLoughlin currently resides with you, both residential interviews would be held at that residence on two separate occasions._

 _To address your question about the legality of your marriage in the United States if the marriage takes place in Ireland, you do not need to have been married in the United States for your marriage to be legal. It is perfectly acceptable if you marry in Ireland or elsewhere. A variety of marriage procedures are also recognized, from church weddings to customary tribal practices. Please be sure to obtain all legal documents if you so choose to wed in Ireland. In certain circumstances, you may be required to obtain a marriage license through the United States, even if you have met all legal requirements from Ireland._

 __

 _Please feel free to contact me with any further inquiries._

 _Lydia Martin_

 _Representative of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services_

* * *

"Wow, that is a lot to take in," I mumbled to myself, reading the email over again for the third time.

"What's a lot to take in, Mark?" I jumped a mile, and slammed the lid of my laptop down as Jack walked up right behind me.

"Jesus fucking hell, Jack!" I yelled, my voice cracking like a pre-pubescent boy. "You scared the shit outta me!" I screeched, slamming my hand over my heart.

"Christ, Mark, I'm sorry! I didn't mean ta scare ya..." Jack said, trying to stifle a giggle.

"You're usually so goddamn loud! You can't go sneaking up on a guy, man!" I barked, trying to gather up all my papers and notes.

"Maaaark... whatcha doin?" Jack asked playfully. He could see I was trying to hide something.

"Noneya... noneya bidness, Jackaboy. Go get some coffee while I clean this stuff up," I told him, smiling.

"No, really... why did you jump a mile, and what are you hiding from me?" Jack prodded. I could hear a bit of concern or fear in his voice.

I stood up and took his face into my hands. I pressed my lips to his, and I felt him relax and melt into me. "Do you trust me, Babe?" I asked when our kiss ended.

"Of course, Mark. It's just... well..." He trailed off.

"Jack?"

"You have never hidden anything from me. Ever. Well, except that time that you were training to turn Nephilim at will... but that's beside the point! I feel like you're... doing something behind my back, and I don't like it. It makes me worry..."

"It's a surprise," I said. "A good one. You're gonna love it. I promise."

"I'm gonna trust you, Markimoo. I don't know why... but I'm gonna trust you..." he said with a smile curling on his lips.

"Good," I told him, slipping my arms around his waist. "Now, we have something to discuss. Something very important..."

"And what would that be?" Jack asked, tangling his fingers in my hair.

"What are we..." I kissed his lips.

"Gonna do..." I placed tiny kisses along his jaw.

"All day..." My lips found their way to the soft skin on his neck, and I heard him let out a tiny moan.

"I think we can come up with something..." Jack said as he pulled my T-shirt off in one yank and tossed it to the floor.


	13. How to Pass the Time on a Saturday

_This chapter contains_ _ **ADULT CONTENT.**_ _If you are_ _ **UNDER 18 YEARS OLD,**_ _or you do not want to read_ _ **SEPTIPLIER LEMONS,**_ _please skip this chapter and go to the next one. You will not miss any of the main story, I PROMISE! 3_

* * *

I added Jack's shirt to mine, in a heap on the floor. After pulling off Jack's shirt, my mouth found its way back to his neck, nibbling and sucking. Jack tasted so sweet, his skin was so soft... but I also felt the stubble on his jaw, which turned me on exponentially. I trailed tiny kisses down his neck to his collar bone. My hands were in his hair, careful not to touch his stitches, and I traced my fingers down the back of his neck, across his shoulders and down his back to feel his warm skin. I pressed my mouth to his again and parted my lips, and he kissed me back, slowly teasing his tongue against mine, and nibbling at my bottom lip.

I touched him in a slow and deliberate manner, listening to the sounds of his breathing, feeling the heat radiating off of his skin, allowing my hands to explore him. I could feel him tremble slightly under my gentle touch. I could feel his heartbeat against my chest, and I could feel when it started beating faster, along with my own, when my hands slid down his back and gripped him around his hips.

I took a step back and just looked at him, taking all of him in. His eyes were half closed but shining with desire, his lips partially open and full of color from kissing me, his cheeks flushed.

Jack took my hands and led me out of the kitchen and into the living room and stopped at the sofa. Then, standing in front of me, placed his hands on the waistband of my sweatpants and gently slid them down my thighs, along with my boxers. His hands lingered on my thighs, slowly working their way up. Jack's fingers teased and caressed their way upward, and the feeling sent shivers down my spine. I could feel my breath start to quicken, and I heard a small noise escape my throat. Jack's eyes never left mine.

He stepped closer to me and placed a hand on my jaw, then leaned in with parted lips to kiss me again. He kissed me with great confidence and deliberate intensity, remaining slow but never shy. Jack knew exactly which buttons to push to drive me to the edge quickly.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me back until I all but fell onto the couch. He climbed into my lap, wrapped his arms around my neck, tangled his fingers in my hair, and went for that sweet spot at the base of my neck, making me growl out a long, low moan.

My hands found his hips, and I held him there, rocking him against my naked body. I could feel how hard he was through the shorts he had on. _Something must be done about those shorts,_ I thought to myself, so I inched my fingers under the waistband and tugged at them until he lifted his ass from my thighs and I was able to pull them off.

I pressed my mouth to his neck, sucking and biting lightly, and my hands found his hips again. I dug my fingers in, gripping his hips as if my life depended on it, and I heard him suck in a breath between his teeth. "Fuck, Mark..." he whispered, his eyes half closed and his head tilted to one side.

I could feel him start to re-position himself, and I moved my head back, leaning it on the back of the sofa. Jack began kissing my neck again, moving to my collar bone, then down my chest and belly. I closed my eyes, reveling in the exquisite feeling of Jack's touch. His hands gently moved down my body, his fingertips leaving trails of heat behind every inch of skin they traced.

Jack slid his body down until he was on his knees. He pushed against my inner thigh, signaling me to part my knees, and he adjusted his body to fit within the open space. His fingers traced along my hips and down my thighs, teasing me.

"Jack... oh god, you're killing me..." I whispered. "Why are you teasing m... _AHHHH FUCK!"_

I didn't even finish my sentence when I felt the warm, wet sensation of his mouth, lightly at first, his tongue softly exploring and tasting. I felt his warm lips wrap around me, I felt him take me deeper, and my body shivered. "Ahh... Don't stop, Jack. It feels so good..." I whispered and ran my fingers through his soft, bright green hair.

I felt like I was floating, I felt weightless. Then I felt that all too familiar sensation starting to surge low in my groin. "Jack... you should stop if you want this to last any amount of time..." I whispered breathlessly. He looked up at me, and I could see slight disappointment in his eyes. He pulled back slightly, leaving me wet and throbbing. The disappointed look turned into lust, and for a second Jack looked like he wanted to devour me.

Jack came back up to me, and I attacked his soft neck with my teeth and tongue, making him let out a small moan. He was in my lap again, and just like earlier, my hands found his hips and I was rocking his body against mine, pulling his hips down for more friction and pressure. I could feel his hard warmth, and my hand slid from one hip across his belly, tracing over his scar.

Jack took my hand and guided it to his mouth, where he began sucking on my finger, first one, then two. I knew exactly where this leads... but even the sensation of him sucking on my fingers was enough to make a slight moan escape my throat. Once my fingers were soaked and dripping, I slipped my hand downward, knowing right where to go.

I teased and stroked at Jack, and I heard his breath hitch. His face was flushed, his eyes closed and his head was tilted back. I wrapped my left arm around him and pulled him close to me, pressing my forehead against his. He was staring into my eyes as I teased and toyed with his opening, my hand still on his back, pressing his body into mine.

His eyes closed, and he spoke my name in a deep, growling moan... "Mark... Ahhh shit..." and I heard him suck in his breath. I kissed him, and I felt his mouth part for me. Jack's tongue danced with mine gently and delicately, but his movements stopped for just a moment when he felt the pressure of my fingers asking to gain entry. He exhaled a breath, mixed with another little pleasure-filled sound, and as I finally got knuckle deep within him, he continued our extended kiss.

I moved with him, my fingers matching the steady rhythm of his movements, my mouth savoring the taste of him. I loved kissing him, I loved feeling him move with me, I loved everything about this. Every moan, every movement, every sigh... I wanted to capture this moment and save it forever. This was perfection, _he_ was perfection. I broke our kiss and whispered, "I love you, Jack. So much..."

Eyes half closed, Jack looked at me through his long eyelashes and whispered back, "Mark... oh, I love you... for always..." and he pressed his forehead against mine once again.

Jack's breath was getting heavier now, a good sign to me that he is ready for what comes next. I withdrew my fingers, and lined myself up with him. We had this down to a fine art by now, and he readily lowered himself onto me until I was buried within him. We both let out a heavy breath, and both of those breaths had a moan at the end of it that drifted together and filled the room.

My hands found his hips, and I gripped my hands on them. At this point, Jack was in control. He knew the perfect rhythm. He knew exactly what both of us wanted... what both of us _needed_ at that moment. He knew the right intensity of each thrust, he knew just how fast to go, he understood each movement and he was able to bring us both unimaginable pleasure.

I took him in my hand and deliberately stroked him in rhythm with his thrusts. _Fuck... this is goddamn perfect. He is perfect._

"Jack... I'm... I can't hold back..." I whispered, looking at him. He put his hand on my face and kissed me deeply, and I exploded in him, letting out a little whimper. Immediately, I felt his release, and his warm, wetness on my hand and belly, and I heard a tiny noise escape Jack's throat.

We were both breathing heavily and covered in sweat. Jack rested his forehead on my shoulder and sighed. We sat there together, unmoving, for what seemed like an eternity.

Jack lifted his head and looked at me through half-closed eyelids. "Shower?"

"Oh yeah," I smiled, "Then onto round two..."


	14. Surprise?

Jack and I padded upstairs, naked, our fingers laced together. I turned the water on in the shower and adjusted the temperature, then got in. Jack promptly followed.

I watched as Jack closed his eyes and allowed the hot water to envelop him, drenching his bright green hair and making it cascade in streams over his closed eyelids. His face was relaxed and I could see he was taking pleasure in the hot water.

I picked up the shampoo and squeezed a small amount in my hand.

"Come here. Let me wash your hair," I said in a low voice, startling Jack out of the world of relaxation he let himself drift into. He took a step toward me, just enough to get his hair out of the falling water.

I lathered the rich smelling shampoo through his hair, taking my time, enjoying the feeling of Jack's wet locks under my fingertips, but being mindful of the fresh stitches. I studied his gorgeous face, taking in the creaminess of his skin, the stubble on his jaw, how long his eyelashes were as they rested against his cheeks.

"Rinse," I told him, placing my hand under his chin and lifting his head, my voice remaining low. Jack tilted his head back under the water to rinse the suds, and I used my hands to help.

Jack opened his eyes, fluttered his eyelashes for a second, rubbed at them, and looked at me. His gaze remained on my face for quite some time before he spoke. He placed his hand on my neck.

"Mark... what would I do without you? Do you have any idea how in love with you I am? Do you have any clue how much my life has changed since I met you?" He asked, his hand on my cheek, thumb stroking my skin.

"Yes, Jack, I do... At least I think I do... because my life has changed as well." I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he returned the gesture by wrapping his around my waist. "We have had a lot of horrible things happen to us in a short amount of time, but honestly, I wouldn't have changed a thing. Everything, even the bad stuff, happened for a reason," I whispered. "I love you more than you could ever know." I leaned in closer to him and kissed him, long and slow, feeling the warm water trickle between our faces.

I broke our kiss, and Jack touched his forehead. "But... I can't wrap my head around how the hell we can be true soulmates. I mean, you have angel DNA, and I have demon DNA. How could it happen?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I dunno... but I'm not gonna question it. I don't want to make the destiny gods mad..." I smiled, and Jack giggled.

We finished our shower, dried off, and made our way to our bedroom to get dressed. We both threw on boxers. I slipped into a clean pair of sweatpants, and Jack pulled on some gym shorts and a T-shirt. We climbed into bed and snuggled into each other. Although it was still early in the day, I woke up early, and I was tired. I drifted off to sleep with my arm wrapped around Jack's waist.

* * *

When I woke up, I was alone. I reached for my phone to check the time, but I forgot I left it downstairs before Jack and I came up to shower.

I rolled over, eventually managing to get up and drag myself down the stairs. Jack was sitting at the table sipping coffee. I noticed my laptop sitting unopened right in front of him. I stashed all the notes and papers I had out earlier, but I left the laptop on the table.

"Hey... whatcha doing?" I asked him, walking closer.

"Just woke up from an amazing nap. Oh... I didn't wake you up, did I?" Jack asked, looking worried.

"Nah, I usually wake up if I can't feel you next to me. Is there more coffee?"

"Yep. I was just going to email my sister, but my laptop decided now would be a good time to update. I'm gonna just use yours..." he said, and before I could protest he opened the lid.

I know he would have just logged me out and logged in with his own account, as we have done on each others laptops numerous times, but I never closed out of the email from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before I closed the lid earlier.

Jack moved the mouse to close the email, but he noticed the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services logo, and stopped.

"...Jack, I..."

"Mark? What... what is this?" He turned his head to look at me, his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, fear and anger. "Is this what you have been hiding from me? You have been talking to U.S. Immigration? This isn't some secret that you keep from me, Mark. If something is going on with me or my work Visa, I need to know! Why would you keep this from me?" His voice was filled with anger and uncertainty.

"... Jack, please... I can explain..."

"Explain what? Why didn't you tell me U.S. Immigration has been in contact with you? Is something wrong with my work Visa? Oh... _oh my god, are they sending me back to Ireland?!"_ I could see the anger slip from Jack's face and become stricken with fear.

I sighed. "No, Jack. Nothing like that," I ran my fingers through my messy, red hair. "I wanted it to be a surprise," I stroked my thumb down the scar on his forehead. "Go ahead. Read it."  
Jack turned his head back to the bright screen and began to read. He whispered a few lines as he read.

"... _information you have requested ... September 2, 2016..."_

 _"... same sex marriage is indeed legal and binding in the State of California_..." I heard a sudden intake of breath. Jack turned his head and looked at me, his mouth open slightly, his eyes softer.

"... _Marriage is legal and valid_... _requests your name be removed from the employer sponsorship_..."

"... _Once the marriage is valid, Mr. McLoughlin... apply for permanent residence ... obtain a Green Card..."_ Jack covered his mouth with his hand.

"... _attend several interviews_ ... _Mr. McLoughlin currently resides with you... residential interviews would be held at that residence on two separate occasions..."_ Jack looked at me again, his eyes shining with tears.

"... _If the marriage takes place in Ireland..._ Ireland? Oh my god, Mark... What...? I... _WHAT?_ " Tears were streaming down his face now. I was smiling, and I could feel my face flush. I waited a minute while he composed himself and read the email again, trying to make sense of everything he just read.

"This says 'information you requested on September 2nd'. But, you have been avoiding _any_ talk about marriage, Mark! You have been planning this for over a month?"

I nodded. "I was planning on taking care of a lot of things myself. I was also thinking about taking you on a surprise trip home to Ireland, and having a ceremony there, but I needed information on how to go about this stuff, and I didn't know if you would want that. It gets complicated because you aren't a U.S. citizen. I needed information before I..."

I couldn't finish my sentence because Jack's lips were smashed against mine. He jumped out of his chair, knocking it over in the process. He was kissing me with an amazing amount of depth and passion, and every fear and worry I had about him finding out about my plan was dissolved immediately.

"Mark..." he whispered after pulling away from the kiss, "Why did I ever doubt you, my angel?"


	15. Another Trip to the Hospital

The mood in the house was light and playful. I felt bad for a while, knowing that I was keeping a huge secret from Jack, but he reassured me over and over that I did nothing wrong, and he knew my intentions were good.

We were cuddled up together watching a movie. We spent a good portion of the day playing Overwatch, and once we broke from the game to get some dinner, I told Jack I wasn't feeling well, so we decided to have a cuddle session.

"Why do I always let you talk me into watching horror movies?" Jack asked me, covering his face as a zombo was tearing into someone's flesh..

"Because you cling onto me, and your accent gets thicker," I said in a low tone. I was feeling groggy and slightly nauseated.

"You are a bag of dicks, Fischbach!" Jack yelled as he playfully slapped at my arm.

"Hey! What did I do?" I screeched, making Jack giggle and make a face.

"How do you manage to get your voice to that awful, screeching pitch when it's so deep?"

"It's a gift," I chuckled, and pulled Jack closer to me. I could feel him push up, and before I knew it he was in my lap with my face in his hands.

"I love you more than anything, Mark..." he whispered, then made a face that looked full of concern. "Mark? Are you feeling okay? It feels like you have a fever..." Jack pressed his palm into my forehead.

"I feel kind of sick. Probably coming down with a cold," I said, then followed up with "I'm okay, but if I am coming down with something, I'm gonna make sure you catch it, too..." then I pulled Jack into a long, slow kiss.

I allowed myself to melt into Jack, and I was keenly aware of my breathing and the quickening of my pulse when Jack ran his fingers through my hair then wrapped his fist around it and gave it a hard tug. He pulled my head back to expose my neck, and I could feel chills creeping up my spine as his mouth sucked and nipped at the skin near my shoulder.

I was getting into it, but then...

"OOOWWW! OH FUCK! OH SHIT!" I cried out loudly, then took a deep breath. Jack jumped back, his face bearing a worried and frightened expression.

"Ohmigod, Jesus christ, Mark! Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry!" I heard him say, but his voice sounded far away. My eyes were squeezed shut, and I felt dizzy. The pain that shot through my abdomen was intense and crippling. I felt tears leaking from my eyes, tears I wasn't even aware I was producing.

I could feel Jack next to me now, kneeling on the floor. I could feel his hands on my face, begging me to talk to him, to open my eyes, to explain what was happening. I curled myself into a ball, trying to speak, but all I could muster were little yelps and squeaks.

"Where does it hurt, Mark? Can ya point?" I heard Jack ask from a million miles away. I managed to point to my abdomen.

"Can ya walk?" I heard a hint of panic rising in Jack's voice. I shook my head. I couldn't even move, let alone sit up.

I was trying to focus on breathing, then I felt hands creeping underneath my body, and I felt myself being hoisted up. I thought I was going to pass out. Somehow, Jack managed to lift me up and get me to the car. He set me in the passenger seat, then told me he would be right back.

I heard the driver's side door slam, then Jack explaining that he had to go get our phones and wallets as he started the car and backed out of the driveway.

I felt every pebble in the road on the way to the hospital. Large bumps made me cry out. The pain was so intense, I couldn't focus on anything. I felt the reassuring pressure of Jack's hand on my thigh, and I managed to move my hand to his and give it a small squeeze. Just feeling his skin against mine made me feel better. Safer.

"Shhh... it's okay, love. It will be over soon..." Jack whispered to me, trying to keep me calm. All I could do was squeeze my eyes shut and make breathy little squeaks and moans. I felt Jack's hand move to my forehead, and although he was trying to keep me calm and keep calm himself, I got a little more panicky when he gasped.

"Mark, I don't want to frighten ya, but you are burning up," he said calmly. "Your fever is way worse now than it was a bit ago..." Jack glanced at me, trying to keep his eyes on the road, but trying to watch me at the same time.

We finally got to the hospital, and Jack helped me out of the car. I managed to walk into the emergency room doors, then collapsed into the first chair I saw. Jack took my wallet and went to check me in. I couldn't hear the conversation, but I could see Jack becoming very animated, and I heard his voice get loud a couple times. The woman from the check-in eventually came to me and put a band on my wrist, and within minutes I was taken back to a room in a wheelchair.

Jack came with me, and I was terrified that he would have to leave since we weren't married. The rainbow gods were looking down on us that day, though, because Dr. O'Casey was the attending ER doctor that evening.

"Are you Mark Fiskback?" He asked, mangling my name as he stepped in behind a nurse, then closed the door behind him. He was looking at his chart, then looked up at me, then turned his attention to Jack, and smiled.

"Hey! I remember you two! How's the noggin..." he looked lost in thought for a moment, then perked up and said, "Jack, right? I never forget an Irishman!"

Jack smiled the best he could and said "yeeh, Jack. This is Mark. Mark Fischbach." Jack said the proper pronunciation of his future last name proudly and clearly. "Can ya please help him? He is in a lot of pain..." Jack looked at me, his eyes filled with concern. I squeezed his hand lightly, and he squeezed back reassuringly. _You're gonna be just fine, love,_ was what I heard from the gesture.

"Of course. What's going on today?" The Doctor looked at the chart. "Looks like you have an elevated temperature... 104.2 degrees. And your abdomen hurts?" He asked, placing his hands on my belly. I screamed out in pain when he touched the right side. Tears began streaming down my face. I was whimpering like a baby, and I had no shame.

"Any nausea or vomiting?" he asked. I nodded my head yes, then Jack said "he hasn't vomited, but he has been feeling nauseous and dizzy."

"Swollen abdomen, nausea, severe pain on the right side of the abdomen, and fever. Looks like appendicitis to me," he said, writing in my chart. "Possibly ruptured. I will have someone come in and start an IV. We will get you some pain medicine, then run some tests once you are comfortable enough. If it is the appendix, we will have to surgically remove it. I want to be 100% sure before I start scaring you with talk of surgery."

Jack thanked him as he shook the doctor's hand. The doctor gave some instructions to the nurse, then turned back to us. "I will be back in a little while, once we get you out of pain. Try to relax. We will take care of you." He nodded at me, then swept out of the room.

"I am going to put this IV in," the nurse said to me. "Once the IV is in, I am going to give you some Morphine. It will help. I know you want it now, so the faster I get this line in, the faster I can make the pain stop, okay?" She was already pulling the needle from the package and lining it up with a vein in my hand. She worked swiftly, chatting as she got my IV in place and taped it to my hand.

"I am pushing the medicine now," she said, "It is a pretty strong dose. You should feel much better soon. You will probably want to sleep, and that is perfectly fine..." I didn't hear anything after that. I could feel Jack's hand on mine, I could hear my own breathing. I looked around the room. Everything seemed fuzzy and warm. Jack seemed to have a fuzzy outline. I saw him smile at me. My eyes closed and I found heavenly relief.

I felt Jack kiss my forehead.

I slept.


	16. Under the Knife

"... ark? Wake up, Mark," I could hear someone talking to me, but I was so tired.

"Mark, baby, please open your eyes. The doctor is here, we need to talk to you." I managed to open my eyes to see Jack standing next to me, his face close to mine. "Hi, love," I managed to squeak out before a yawn overtook me.

"Heyyyy you..." Jack stroked his thumb on my cheek. "The doc has some news." He looked sad, but I was groggy from the medicine and I could have been mistaken.

I heard a somewhat familiar voice start talking, but I couldn't quite pinpoint the location.

"Mark, we took some blood and took you back for an ultrasound while you were sleeping. Your tests and the ultrasound confirmed appendicitis. We will have to perform an emergency appendectomy. You are scheduled for surgery in 40 minutes." Hearing this startled me, and I sat up, forgetting about the pain until I moved. I was fully awake now, and a loud yelp escaped me. I looked at Jack. He was standing next to me, his face dripping with worry. He flashed a smile, but I could tell it was forced and he was a wreck.

I forced a smiled at Jack, but I could tell my face was scrunched up in pain. I couldn't help it. Jack looked devastated.

"No worries, love. They do this all the time, right doc?" I tried to reassure him.

"Absolutely. Really, there is nothing to worry about." He clapped Jack on the shoulder and gave him a genuine smile. "Trust me, lad. Your boy will be just fine."

I could see some of the worry fade, and I could tell he was trying to be strong for my sake. The pain was intensifying again, and I told the doctor so.

"It's starting to get bad again," I said, trying to hold back tears.

"I will have the nurse give you another dose of Morphine," he said. "They are going to come prep you for surgery in just a few minutes."

"Thanks..." I managed to whisper.

The doc left Jack and I alone. He tried making small talk while we were waiting for the nurse and the surgical prep team, but he was failing miserably. Jack's sapphire eyes were swimming and shining with tears.

"No... hey, none of that now, Babe. I'm good. Remember how well this hospital took care of you when you were in a coma? This is just another Tuesday for them," I told him, taking his hand. My fingers felt the cool metal of his ring, and I held it between my fingers, spinning it. Jack looked down at what I was doing and smiled.

* * *

The nurse came in with more pain meds first. "This dose isn't as strong as the first one since they are going to be prepping you for surgery, but it will be enough to keep you comfortable until they put you under," she explained as she squeezed the medicine in my IV.

I felt better almost immediately, and I didn't fall asleep again. "Did you call Mekiah?" I asked him.

"Yeah, while you were sleeping. She will be here before you are out of surgery. Mark... I..." Jack leaned in close to me and sighed, "I just love you so much, and I can't stand watching you suffer. Why can't things just go smoothly for us? Why is there always _something?"_

"I dunno, babe. But, just like always, we will pull through."

Jack moved closer, then leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead just as two people came through the door.

"I guess this is it. Next time I see you I will be one appendix lighter," I joked. Jack smiled and leaned in again, this time softly covering my lips with his. Jack's hand drifted up to my jaw, and I felt his thumb stroke my cheek before he ended our kiss and backed away.

The two nurses started fussing with my bed and began to roll me out the door.

"I love you, Angel. I will see you soon." Jack said, his voice fading slightly.

"I love you too, Jack. For always."


	17. One More Scar

The light was bright, so bright.

Too bright.

I started to panic.

I remember all too well trying to open my eyes under intense light one time before.

I remember.

This felt like that time.

I took a breath, and heard myself make a small sound when I exhaled. Thank God. I forced out another low humming sound, then switched my focus to my fingers. I lifted one finger, then two. I wiggled fingers on my right hand, then my left.

I tried opening my eyes again. The light stung. I felt cold. Why was I so cold? I opened my mouth, tried forcing my lips to form a word. "Ja...hhh" was all that came out.

Shifted focus back to my eyes. I made a little more progress. I could make out dark shapes in the white room.

Open. Close. Open a little more. Close.

I was finally able to actually turn my head and open my eyes at the same time. I opened my mouth again to speak, then licked my lips. I was thirsty, I wanted water. My lips felt dry.

It was then that I heard someone say my name. It was a lovely sound, fuzzy and soft, and it sounded far away. I focused on the voice. A female voice.

I opened my eyes again, just barely, and this time I was rewarded with a face to go with the voice.

"Hi, Mark. Can you open your eyes? Take your time, you're probably still sleepy," the voice said to me softly.

I opened my mouth again, I could feel my head turn slightly, but I wasn't aware of moving it. I made another attempt at speaking, and this time I had more success.

"Shack..." I whispered, then licked my lips again, "waaer. thirssy..."

The lovely voice said softly "You're thirsty? I can get you some ice chips," then I felt something wonderfully cold and wet touch my lips. I opened my mouth just wide enough for the ice to slide onto my tongue, and it felt like heaven.

Once the ice was melted, I licked my lips again, the dry feeling gone now. I tried speaking again. "Jack?"

Success.

The voice responded in her warm, sweet tone, "Jack? Yes, I will go get him for you. Rest now. You did great."

I did great?

Oh.

Oh yeah. Surgery. My mind was starting to wake up, I opened my eyes a little. My vision was getting better, the room wasn't a blur anymore. I could see that I was in a room, I could make out the walls, the TV, a small table and a chair. I could see what I imagine was a door, but I didn't know where it led.

I looked down, and I could see my feet under the thin blanket that covered my lower half.

I was so tired. I would just close my eyes for a second.

I must have fallen asleep. I have no idea how long I slept for, but when I started to rouse again I could tell there was something different about the room before I even opened my eyes. I could smell something soothing and comforting, and I was immediately more at ease.

I moved my hand again, and I felt something warm and smooth against my fingers. I felt cool, smooth metal.

Jack.

I opened my eyes, and he was there. Just like always. My rock. My strength. He was there.

He was always right there.

"Eyyy..." I said, my voice deep and gravely. I blinked away the sleep; I could see him clearly. I thought about the way I saw him through anesthesia-laden eyes. His hair was as vivid green as ever, his eyes as blue as the sky. Jack was so bright. He was so vibrant. He fills my darkness with color and wonder.

He smiled brightly. "Hey, babe! Good morning! Everything went great. How are ya feeling?"

I felt his fingers run through my hair. The small gesture made me feel warm, made my head tingle. I felt myself smile. "I feel... tired. Cold. Thirsty. Hey... can I... more ice... please?" I lifted my arm to my face. I rubbed at my eyes. My hands felt like they weighed ten pounds each.

I closed my eyes again.

I couldn't help it.

I was startled awake by the feeling of ice being rubbed on my bottom lip. I inhaled sharply, then relaxed a little when I opened my eyes and saw Jack. I parted my lips for the refreshing, frosty-wet treat. I felt Jack's finger brush my bottom lip after the ice slid onto my tongue. I liked that feeling.

"Thanks..." I whispered to him. He brushed a strand of hair back then pressed his lips to my forehead.

"Where are we? Is this recovery or my own room?" I asked, finally pulling myself out of the sleepy brain-fog I was in.

"Your room. You were in recovery for a while. After you woke up and asked for me, they moved you in here, but you had fallen asleep again." Jack fussed over my blanket, pulling it up to cover my chest. He stroked my cheek with his thumb, then leaned in and softly pressed his lips to mine. "I'm so glad you're okay. I love you."

"Love you too. So when can I get out of here?" I asked, trying to prop myself into a sitting position. I felt some pain, but not much. I winced and asked "How many stitches?"

"None!" Jack said brightly, "They used Dermabond."

"Whazzat?" I asked.

"It's basically super-glue for skin."

"Cool!" I liked that I didn't have to get stitches taken out. "Answer my other question. When can we go home?"

"Tomorrow, I think, maybe the next day" Jack said, "as long as there are no complications."

Something was nagging at the back of my brain after he said 'no complications'... something I remembered seeing or reading... I couldn't quite grab the thought, though. Maybe it will come to me later.

"Have you eaten anything?" I asked him.

"No. It only took a couple hours from the time they took you out of the room. I didn't even have time to get hungry," Jack took my hand, held between both of his, and propped his elbows on the bed. He rested his chin on our amalgamation of fingers and smiled at me, staring into my eyes. "How can you be so awesome?"

I chuckled. "What?"

"You just had your insides cut out, but you are worried about _me_ eating. How did I get so lucky?"

"Luck had nothing to do with it," I said, smiling. "You were _destined_ to be with me because _my mommy says so."_ I teased. Jack let out a little laugh, his gorgeous eyes dancing and sparkling just for me. _I don't think I have ever been more in love with you than I am at this moment,_ I thought to myself.

"I don't think I have ever been more in love with you than I am at this moment," Jack said to me, pressing his lips into my hand, then resting his chin back on our intertwined fingers.

My mouth dropped open. I shook my head a little and closed my eyes, then looked at him with my head slightly tilted, "... w-what did you just say?" I asked, completely baffled that he just said my exact thought out loud.

Jack's eyebrows scrunched up, and he looked at me like I had two heads. " I _said_ I don't think I have ever been more in love with you more than I am at this moment, Mark. Wh... did I... do something wrong?" Jack backed his body up in an almost defensive manner and tried to pull his hands from mine, but I wouldn't let go.

"No... " I breathed out, "No, Jackaboy, you didn't do anything wrong. You just... " I let out an almost sarcastic little 'heh' sound, "said the exact words I was thinking, _literally_ word for word, out loud, the moment I thought it."

"What? It was just a coincidence, Mark. We talk all mushy like that all the time," Jack said to me.

"This was... different, though. It would be different if I thought _I love you_ and you said 'I love you'. That is something we say all the time. But this... this was different. I'm telling you, Jack, it was literally word for word." A chill ran down my spine.

"So, what? You think we have some kind of connection or somethin'? News flash, Mark! We are soulmates! Your mom knew we would be together years before we ever met! We have supernatural bloodlines! We killed an angel and we are on a mission to kill a demon, that _lives inside me_ , for fuck's sake!" Jack shook his head, trying to hold back from laughing at me. "You are acting like some kind of psychic connection is a rare or weird thing with us."

"Well... it is for me," I said, my tone low and defeated. I looked down at the blanket, then I had a thought. I looked back at Jack, "wait... has this happened before? Jack, can you hear my thoughts?"

Jack pursed his lips, his sparkling eyes looking down as if he were ashamed, and said "I... think I can, Mark."


	18. In the Mind of an Angel

I started thinking about the situation, about Jack being in my brain, and a million thoughts started flooding in. If this was true, why didn't he know about the wedding plans I was making or the email from immigration? He must not know everything, there has to be some kind of trigger…

Just then there was a small knock the door, then it opened a small bit. Doctor O'Casey poked his head in and asked if he could come in.

"Sure, some on in," I said. Jack let go of my hand and backed up as the doc walked to my bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, "mind if I have a look?"

"I don't feel too bad, and there isn't any pain," I informed him. I pulled the blanket down and pulled my hospital gown up to show him. Both of us let out a small gasp, and we looked at each other, mouths wide open.

"How?" he asked me, but I had no answers.

"How what?" Jack asked, not knowing why we were so confused. Jack walked over and looked down, the same look appearing on his face as soon as he saw what we saw.

My wound was completely healed. There was no scar.

* * *

I immediately thought of that fleeting memory from when I asked when I could go home and Jack mentioned complications. I remembered now why that flashed in and out of my head. I had just read about rapid healing in the Book of Angels.

According to the book, the more in-tune a Nephilim is with his angelic side, the faster his body will heal. This was the first substantial injury I had gotten since I really learned to channel my Nephilim side. I still had no answers for the doctor, though, who still stood next to me, eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. There was no way I was going to tell him that I am part angel, so I have the healing capabilities to rival those of Wolverine.

"I don't know, doc… must be a miracle or somethin'…" was all I could muster.

The doctor touched the area where the incision was made, then pushed a little. "Does that hurt?" he asked, to which I shook my head 'no'.

I explained that I was in a slight bit of pain when I woke up and sat up, but I hadn't moved in a while, and that now I was in no pain at all.

"Well, I want to keep you for a little while for observation. I can't explain it, I don't understand it, but that doesn't change the fact that you have no wounds. I will schedule an ultrasound, and if that comes back good, I will let you go home."

"Sounds great!" I said, looking at Jack as he nodded his head. He smiled at me nervously.

In less than an hour, someone came in to take me to ultrasound. I was completely capable of walking, but the nurse insisted that I ride in a wheelchair, babbling some nonsense about "post-op protocol".

The ultrasound results took almost no time to come back, and Dr. O'Casey came in to personally hand me my discharge papers. I walked out of the hospital, Jack's hand in mine, smiling.

Once we got in the car, I could feel the tension. The air was thick with nervous energy, and I was waiting for Jack to talk first. I was glancing at him occasionally from the passenger's seat.

Jack let out a long sigh.

"Okay, I guess we should talk about the whole 'reading your thoughts' thing," Jack said quietly.

"Ya think?" I said, trying my best not to sound sarcastic and annoyed. "Look, Jack," I continued, and placed my hand on his thigh. I could feel him relax a little. "Things like this are bound to happen. There could be a number of things that can trigger it, we just need to narrow it down. First, you need to tell me when it started," I said quietly, looking directly at him.

Jack only threw a quick glance in my direction every once in a while as he drove. He looked deep in thought. He took a quick breath and glanced over at me. "Okay, here's the deal. I didn't say anything because I didn't know what it was. It could have been Sean fucking with me, it could have been the angel demon thing, it could have been the soulmate thing... at one point I thought all the stress and demon stuff was legitimately making me crazy, so I just didn't say anything. I wanted to wait to see if I could see any patterns or triggers."

"It doesn't happen all the time, and when it does happen, it's almost like I am hearing a recording or a record player. It isn't clear at all... Just the opposite. It is very distant sounding and scratchy, kind of like echoes of whispers."

Jack paused, licked his lips, ran his fingers through his hair, then continued, "I wanted to understand what was happening. I knew it was you I was hearing, I just didn't know why or if it was really you or my own brain fucking with me, or Sean... " Jack trailed off.

I rubbed my hand on his thigh, partially to soothe him but mostly just so I could feel something solid and real. "How has it come to this?" I whispered. "One day I was just a nerd working in a book store and the next day you entered my life and turned it upside down..."

Jack cracked a smile. "If I recall correctly, _you_ were the one that did the life-flipping by reading that book. I was just an innocent bystander!" I chuckled and squeezed his knee.

"Jack, it's okay. Really. I was kind of blind sided and on a bunch of pain meds and my brain couldn't comprehend what was happening. I was confused, and kind of hurt. But I'm good... we're good. I just want to figure out what it is causing it, and I want you to tell me when it happens so we can figure it out. Together."


	19. Playing with Fire

When we got home, I was completely exhausted. I was in no pain, my wound was healed, but the pain medicine was still running strong through my veins. I told Jack that I wanted to go to bed, and asked him if he could come with me, to just lay down with me until I fell asleep.

"Of course I will, Mark," Jack smiled. "I will always take care of you. Anything you need"

We slowly walked up the stairs, Jack behind me in case I started feeling woozy. Once we got into our bedroom, Jack stripped me of my T-shirt, turned down the blankets, and I slipped under the covers. I knew I would be asleep soon, and my eyes closed almost immediately. I felt Jack crawl into bed, then I felt his warm hand slip around my waist and pull me close. He kissed my ear, then my neck. He let out a small sigh and snuggled closer, his arm wrapped around my waist, his hand on my belly.

I smiled.

I sighed.

I slept.

When I woke up it was dark in our room. Something made me stir. It wasn't a sound, but a feeling. A good feeling.

Jack.

Jack's warm lips were on my neck, gently planting tiny kisses on the back of my neck and my shoulders. I could feel his tongue gently outline my earlobe. I could feel the hand that was wrapped around me when I fell asleep still in the same place, but his fingertips were gently stroking small circles on my skin. I turned over, and kissed him softly, so gently. Jack parted his lips, as if asking me to kiss him more deeply without words.

I did.

I could hear Jack's breathing get slightly faster. His hand was still around me, even after I turned to face him, and his other hand was in my hair, twirling locks around his fingers.

Although I know every inch of him, I found my hands exploring him once again, as if there were something new for me to find. I could feel my heart beating faster, I could hear my own breath get heavier. Our bedroom grew laden with lust and the sounds of soft moans and sighs along with the sheets whispering with our movements.

Jack's hands crept down to the waistband of the sweat pants I was wearing, the same ones I came home in. I felt his finger slip under the band and slide under the band from my back around to my hip. He tugged slightly, and I lifted my body to allow him to slide them off.

Jack whispered my name, and I replied with a small "mmmm". I loved the way my name rolled off of his tongue. It almost sounded like "Maerk", and it was like listening to the sound of heaven.

"Mark, I w-want to... ask you someth... n-nevermind," Jack whispered, then pulled his hand away from my body and sighed. The sudden withdrawal of his hand was enough to make a small whimper almost escape my mouth.

"What is it, Babe?" I asked, concerned. "Jack, you know me, better than anyone. You can ask me anything."

"It's just, I wanted to... t-try something. Something different. But... I didn't think... I don't know if you... " he stopped again, obviously nervous about asking what was on his mind.

I sat up and took his hands into mine. I lifted one to my lips and kissed the back of it softly, lovingly. "Jack, what is it? If it is something I am not okay with, I will just say no." I smiled into the darkness. It was pitch black, and I couldn't see his face. "Then we can talk about it. But I never want you to be embarrassed or afraid to ask me anything, and I'm always up for trying new things."

"Okay..." He took a breath, "I want you to... ch-change. Just you. I want to just be me, small, helpless, human Jack. I want to feel your power... I... want to feel you completely overtake me. Does that... sound stupid?"

I smiled again, although I knew he couldn't see it. I imagine he heard or felt it, though, the way you can tell when someone is smiling on the phone. I was so down with this idea.

I let out a small laugh. "Jack, why would you think I wouldn't want to play this **game WITH YOU?"** , my final words coming out in almost a scream, followed by my signature deafening roar.

In an instant, I pounced on him, grabbing both of his wrists and pinning them above his head. I heard him gasp. My movements seem slow to me, but I can move lightning fast in my angelic form. I could see now, not well, but like there was a small night light in the room instead of pure darkness. I looked into his eyes, and I could see fear, but also an intense lust and excitement I had never seen before.

I stared at him. "Is this what you wanted, Jack?" I growled in a deep, throaty whisper, "to be completely taken by me, unable to move, unable to even breathe?" My hand crept up his chest until my fingers found his neck. I wrapped my hand around his throat, my thumb just over his jugular. I could feel his pulse, strong and fast, and growing faster by the second as I squeezed a little harder. I could feel the heat radiating off of his skin.

Jack whimpered, swallowed hard, and nodded his head. _Yes._

"Alright, then. Let's see what we can do with this body of yours... " I scanned over his perfect form laid out in front of me, from head to toe. I could feel him squirm, trying to struggle out of my grasp.

"Oh, no, my sweet, little plaything," I whispered, my voice deep and raspy, very close to his ear, "you wanted this. This is what you get. Do you remember when you tied me to that tree? Blindfolded me? _Teased_ me?"

"Hmmhmm" was all Jack could squeak out.

"Just remember... _I never paid you back for that..._ "


End file.
